Feral Rhesus Macaque

Feral Rhesus Macaque

Feral Rhesus macaques are wild versions of the Rhesus macaque released by researchers, zoos, or private owners, have been able to survive and propagate in several places in the United States.

Contents

Puerto Rico

Cayo Santiago

A research colony was established by the Caribbean Primate Research Center of the University of Puerto Rico on the island of Cayo Santiago, off Puerto Rico. There are no predators on the island, and humans are not permitted to land, except as part of the research program.

Florida

Silver River State Park

A colony of Rhesus macaques was established in the Silver River State Park in Florida around the spring of 1938. The monkeys were released by a tour boat operator known locally as "Colonel Tooey" to enhance his "Jungle Cruise" ride some time around the Spring of 1938. A traditional story that the monkeys were released for scenery enhancement in the Tarzan movies that were filmed at that location is false, as the only Tarzan movie filmed in the area, 1939's Tarzan Finds a Son! contains no Rhesus Macaques.[1] In addition, various colonies of rhesus and other monkey species are speculated to be the result of zoos and wildlife parks destroyed in hurricanes, most notably Hurricane Andrew.[2]

Tampa Bay

The "Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay" is a Rhesus macaque that has been on the loose and evading capture for approximately one year (as of March 2010) in St. Petersburg, Florida.[3] The monkey is thought to be a male that weighs 30 pounds.[4]

Authorities are not certain where the monkey came from. One possibility is that it could have been separated from a troupe of wild monkeys in Silver River State Park,[5] approximately 103 miles north of St. Petersburg.[6] Another possibility is that it could have escaped from an owner who does not have a permit and thus is not registered with authorities.[3]

A Facebook page for the monkey has been set up, which has more than 77,000 fans (as of May 3, 2010).[3] The monkey is shy and not considered a threat to humans.[7] Its continued success at avoiding capture has been compared to the TV series The Fugitive.[8] The monkey reportedly looks both ways to check for traffic before crossing the street.[3] There is also speculation that the monkey has become a "drug addict" because of repeated attempts by the Florida Wildlife and Fish Commission to unsuccessfully capture the monkey through the use of tranquilizer darts.[9]

South Carolina

Morgan Island

There is also a notable colony of Rhesus macaques on Morgan Island, one of the Sea Islands in the South Carolina Lowcountry. They were imported in the 1970s for use in the local labs and are by all accounts thriving.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ Wolfe, Linda, Cambridge University Press (2002). Primates Face to Face. p. 320. ISBN 052179109X. 
  2. ^ http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/20/090420fa_fact_bilger
  3. ^ a b c d Elusive monkey romps in Tampa Bay area, Associated Press, March 24, 2010
  4. ^ Monkey, loose, eludes police St. Petersburg, WTSP-TV CBS, March 4, 2010
  5. ^ Kegley, Joe (2007-05-15). "Silver River - Florida". WildlifeSouth. http://www.wildlifesouth.com/Locations/Florida/SilverRiver.html. Retrieved 2010-03-25. 
  6. ^ "How Far is It? Distance Server: As the Crow Flies". indo.com. http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist?place1=29%3A10%3A50.4821N+82%3A8%3A47.3997W&place2=St.+Petersburg%2C+FL. Retrieved 2010-03-25. 
  7. ^ After a year on the lam, is wily monkey too smart to capture?, St. Petersburg Times, March 5, 2010
  8. ^ Fugitive monkey has pursuers going bananas, MSNBC, March 24, 2010
  9. ^ [1], ABC News, March 25, 2010
  10. ^ The State | Homepage
  11. ^ Taub DM, Mehlman PT (April 1989). "Development of the Morgan Island rhesus monkey colony". P R Health Sci J 8 (1): 159–69. PMID 2780958. 

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