Florida Police Warns Residents to Avoid Monkeys Roaming Loose

Published: 12/21/2024, 12:41:22 AM EST

Florida Police Warns Residents to Avoid Monkeys Roaming Loose

Florida police are advising Orange City town residents to avoid monkeys sighted this week to be roaming in the community.

The Daytona Beach News Journal reported on Tuesday that multiple monkeys were observed in Volusia County, near Orange City.

Police emphasized the importance of not feeding or approaching the animals for safety reasons. The advisory was accompanied by a social media post showing photos of a monkey traversing a local fence, highlighting the unusual presence of these wild animals in the urban setting.

“Do NOT feed or approach these animals!” Orange City police are urging residents not to feed or approach the monkeys sighted 30 miles north of Orlando. The police emphasize the potential dangers and encourage anyone who sees the monkeys to report their location to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) immediately.

The police have yet to determine the source of these monkey sightings.

Monkey Sightings Surge

These unusual visitors to Volusia County were first reported on social media in early December.

The sightings gained attention on December 5th, when St. Johns River Eco Tours posted a Facebook video of a monkey moving from branch to branch near a river. The caption described the scene as spotting "something a little bit abnormal" while out on the river.

Last month, a notable escape incident occurred at the Alpha Genesis primate research facility in Yemassee, about 60 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina.

Forty-three rhesus macaques, each weighing between 6-7 pounds, managed to break out from the facility. As of December 9, the Beaufort County Post and Courier reported that four of these monkeys were still on the loose.

This is not an isolated incident; a similar situation unfolded last year in Orange City, where monkeys also escaped, causing concern among the local population, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Are These Monkeys Dangerous?

In August 2023, the Orange County Police issued a stern warning to the public about roaming monkeys: "Don’t feed it. Don’t pet it. It’s not your average zoo animal."

"Wild monkeys are known to carry various diseases," states a 2018 FWC announcement, noting specifically that "Rhesus macaques monkeys are capable of carrying herpes B, a potentially fatal disease in humans if not treated immediately."

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states, "People typically get infected with B virus if they are bitten or scratched by an infected macaque monkey, or have contact with the monkey’s eyes, nose, or mouth." These statements underscore the significant health risks associated with direct contact with wild monkeys.

The species of monkey currently roaming Volusia and other Florida counties are not native to the state.

If you spot a wild monkey roaming in Florida, please report the sighting to the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 1-888-483-4681. Alternatively, you can contact the agency’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 to report your observations.