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There are monkeys that were released or escaped from Silver Springs; A possible colony in the Green Swamp north of Lakeland; and now this one.
These wild monkeys thrive in Florida—and carry a deadly virus
Descendants of theme-park escapees, a population of rhesus macaques in a Florida state park may soon double in size—a recipe for trouble.
ByAnnie Roth
Published November 9, 2018
• 10 min read
In the heart of central Florida lies Silver Spring State Park—a large patchwork of forests and wetlands with a spring-fed river flowing through it. One of Florida’s first tourist attractions, the park was once known for its scenic vistas and native wildlife. But for the last 80 years, the park’s biggest draw has been its monkeys.
That’s right—Silver Spring State Park is home to at least 300 rhesus macaques, a monkey native to south and southeast Asia. The animals are breeding rapidly, and a new study estimates that the monkey population will double by 2022 unless state agencies take steps to control it.
The study, published October 26 in the journal Wildlife Management, claims that such an increase could put the health of the park and its visitors in serious jeopardy—because, among other problems, the monkeys carry a rare and deadly form of herpes virus called herpes B. It’s extremely, extremely rare for herpes B to spread from a monkey to a human, but when it does, it can be fatal.
More: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/florida-rhesus-monkeys-herpes-running-wild-invasive-species
Descendants of theme-park escapees, a population of rhesus macaques in a Florida state park may soon double in size—a recipe for trouble.
ByAnnie Roth
Published November 9, 2018
• 10 min read
In the heart of central Florida lies Silver Spring State Park—a large patchwork of forests and wetlands with a spring-fed river flowing through it. One of Florida’s first tourist attractions, the park was once known for its scenic vistas and native wildlife. But for the last 80 years, the park’s biggest draw has been its monkeys.
That’s right—Silver Spring State Park is home to at least 300 rhesus macaques, a monkey native to south and southeast Asia. The animals are breeding rapidly, and a new study estimates that the monkey population will double by 2022 unless state agencies take steps to control it.
The study, published October 26 in the journal Wildlife Management, claims that such an increase could put the health of the park and its visitors in serious jeopardy—because, among other problems, the monkeys carry a rare and deadly form of herpes virus called herpes B. It’s extremely, extremely rare for herpes B to spread from a monkey to a human, but when it does, it can be fatal.
More: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/florida-rhesus-monkeys-herpes-running-wild-invasive-species
JAILBREAK MONKEYS STILL FREE IN GREEN SWAMP
By Craig Pittman
Published Jan. 30, 2009
Three weeks after a group of 15 monkeys made a monkey out of Lowry Park Zoo's chief executive, most of them are still roaming the Green Swamp in Polk County.
"We know where they are," explained Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It's catching them that's the problem."
The animals are Patas monkeys. When they run, they can hit a top speed of nearly 35 mph.
Turns out they can swim pretty well, too.
More: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/05/20/jailbreak-monkeys-still-free-in-green-swamp/
By Craig Pittman
Published Jan. 30, 2009
Three weeks after a group of 15 monkeys made a monkey out of Lowry Park Zoo's chief executive, most of them are still roaming the Green Swamp in Polk County.
"We know where they are," explained Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It's catching them that's the problem."
The animals are Patas monkeys. When they run, they can hit a top speed of nearly 35 mph.
Turns out they can swim pretty well, too.
More: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/05/20/jailbreak-monkeys-still-free-in-green-swamp/
All of those have been caught:
At Last, All of 15 Escaped Monkeys Found, One Dead
By JEREMY MAREADY / THE LEDGER
Posted Dec 18, 2008 at 9:40 PM Updated Dec 18, 2008 at 10:42 PM
The last of the 15 monkeys that escaped from Safari Wild have been accounted for - one dead and four captured. The four Patas monkeys were caught by trappers in North Lakeland, not far from where they escaped.
LAKELAND | The last of the 15 monkeys that escaped from Safari Wild have been accounted for - one dead and four captured.
The four Patas monkeys were caught by trappers in North Lakeland, not far from where they escaped.
The fifth was found shot to death near the Polk County wildlife park.
The 15 monkeys escaped from the park, which is still under construction, in April by swimming a moat they were not thought to be able to cross.
More: https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20081218/News/608137087/LL
By JEREMY MAREADY / THE LEDGER
Posted Dec 18, 2008 at 9:40 PM Updated Dec 18, 2008 at 10:42 PM
The last of the 15 monkeys that escaped from Safari Wild have been accounted for - one dead and four captured. The four Patas monkeys were caught by trappers in North Lakeland, not far from where they escaped.
LAKELAND | The last of the 15 monkeys that escaped from Safari Wild have been accounted for - one dead and four captured.
The four Patas monkeys were caught by trappers in North Lakeland, not far from where they escaped.
The fifth was found shot to death near the Polk County wildlife park.
The 15 monkeys escaped from the park, which is still under construction, in April by swimming a moat they were not thought to be able to cross.
More: https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20081218/News/608137087/LL
There was a single monkey loose in Tampa:
Tampa Bay's new 'Mystery Monkey: The Sequel' is on the run once again
By Sara DiNatale
Published Nov. 4, 2016
There's a monkey on the loose who has dodged trappers, crossed county lines and appears to have traveled up to 30 miles in just one week.
A rhesus macaque, native to Asia, was spotted last week along the Pasco County coast. It was seen near Aripeka and by Hudson Beach, hanging out Oct. 26 along the residential boat docks, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Then the new Mystery Monkey was spotted the next day across the Pasco-Pinellas county line, in a subdivision in Palm Harbor.
That should sound familiar to Tampa Bay residents. Cornelius the first Mystery Monkey once led wildlife officers on a 4-year hunt.
Cornelius spent years on the lam, building a social media fan base and infuriating trappers again and again before he was finally captured on Oct. 24, 2012 — four years to the week of this most recent sighting. That was also a presidential election year, by the way.
More: https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/tampa-bays-new-mystery-monkey-the-sequel-is-on-the-run-once-again/2301333/
By Sara DiNatale
Published Nov. 4, 2016
There's a monkey on the loose who has dodged trappers, crossed county lines and appears to have traveled up to 30 miles in just one week.
A rhesus macaque, native to Asia, was spotted last week along the Pasco County coast. It was seen near Aripeka and by Hudson Beach, hanging out Oct. 26 along the residential boat docks, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Then the new Mystery Monkey was spotted the next day across the Pasco-Pinellas county line, in a subdivision in Palm Harbor.
That should sound familiar to Tampa Bay residents. Cornelius the first Mystery Monkey once led wildlife officers on a 4-year hunt.
Cornelius spent years on the lam, building a social media fan base and infuriating trappers again and again before he was finally captured on Oct. 24, 2012 — four years to the week of this most recent sighting. That was also a presidential election year, by the way.
More: https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/tampa-bays-new-mystery-monkey-the-sequel-is-on-the-run-once-again/2301333/
Florida's 'Mystery Monkey' Captured After Three Years On The Lam
October 25, 2012 10:46 AM ET
Mark Memmott
The "mystery monkey" who had been on the loose in the Tampa Bay area for more than three years was captured Wednesday, our friends at WUSF report.
As WUSF's Scott Finn writes, the rhesus macaque monkey had become something of a local legend in Tampa and St. Petersburg. He'd also made the national news and had "his own" Facebook page (latest update there: "my freedom has been taken away from me"
.
The "mystery monkey," now known as Cornelius, while he was on the loose in 2010.
Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay Facebook page
It's thought, as WTSP-TV says, that he "escaped from a small colony of monkeys" that live in Silver Springs, Fla. For much of his time on the lam, the monkey was a popular guy. But as Scott notes, "the lighthearted story became more serious earlier this month, when the mystery monkey bit a woman in her backyard after jumping on her back." Neighbors had reportedly been feeding him.
He was captured, according to WTSP, after "a three-hour stakeout" by wildlife officials near "a wooded area in a south St. Pete neighborhood." When the monkey was spotted, he was shot with a tranquilizer dart.
More: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/10/25/163620501/floridas-mystery-monkey-captured-after-three-years-on-the-lam
October 25, 2012 10:46 AM ET
Mark Memmott
The "mystery monkey" who had been on the loose in the Tampa Bay area for more than three years was captured Wednesday, our friends at WUSF report.
As WUSF's Scott Finn writes, the rhesus macaque monkey had become something of a local legend in Tampa and St. Petersburg. He'd also made the national news and had "his own" Facebook page (latest update there: "my freedom has been taken away from me"
.
The "mystery monkey," now known as Cornelius, while he was on the loose in 2010.
Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay Facebook page
It's thought, as WTSP-TV says, that he "escaped from a small colony of monkeys" that live in Silver Springs, Fla. For much of his time on the lam, the monkey was a popular guy. But as Scott notes, "the lighthearted story became more serious earlier this month, when the mystery monkey bit a woman in her backyard after jumping on her back." Neighbors had reportedly been feeding him.
He was captured, according to WTSP, after "a three-hour stakeout" by wildlife officials near "a wooded area in a south St. Pete neighborhood." When the monkey was spotted, he was shot with a tranquilizer dart.
More: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/10/25/163620501/floridas-mystery-monkey-captured-after-three-years-on-the-lam
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