Wild monkeys spotted roaming in Lake County
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Although it might appear to be something straight out of the movie Jumanji, this is not a game – officials have identified wild monkeys roaming around central Florida.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, rhesus macaques have been spotted recently in Lake County. The macaque also is known colloquially as the rhesus monkey.
“Based on the coloration, body shape, face shape, and nearness to an established population, the animal in the photo shared with us appears to be a Rhesus macaque,” the FWC said.
Police in Clermont, located in Lake County, also confirmed seeing the monkey in the area.
While hanging around central Florida, rhesus macaques are originally from Asia. The monkey was first brought to the Silver Springs attraction in Marion County in the 1930s and released onto an island as
part of a jungle boat tour.
Unsurprisingly to some, the monkey soon “escaped from the zoo.”
Ever since, the macaques core population has settled around the Silver River located east of Ocala, which is northeast from Lake County where the monkeys were spotted.
Rhesus macaques can be identified by their brown to gray color and pink faces. The monkeys also average around 20 inches in height and weigh around 15 pounds.
The rhesus macaque, along with the vervet monkey, are the only two monkey species established and reproducing in Florida. Mostly herbivores, wild monkeys eat fruit, vegetation, insects, and sometimes bird eggs.
Feeding wild monkeys also is prohibited in Florida, punishable by a second-degree misdemeanor, $500 fine, and 60 days in jail
“Wild monkeys in Florida can cause ecological, agricultural and economic impacts,” the FWC said. “Wild monkeys carry diseases that can be spread to humans including some that can be fatal.”
The commission specifically noted wild monkeys have been documented to carry diseases that are transmissible to humans such as the herpes B virus, which can be fatal.
To report wild monkeys outside of their their core population areas, the FWC recommends taking a photo from a safe distance and note its location. You can also call the commission’s Exotic Species Hotline at
at 1-888-483-4681.
