In St. Petersburg a wild rhesus macaque, the Mystery Monkey, has been getting a lot of attention. It has been spotted around the area for about two years. It has its own Facebook page and has even been featured on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."
It has so far eluded Florida Fish and Wildlife officials, even shaking off being hit twice with tranquilizer darts.
Officials have warned people to stay away from the monkey and not to feed it, yet the video linked below shows the monkey looking plump and eating a banana on someone’s porch.
Now it has bitten a woman and I fear that will turn out to be a fatal mistake.
The woman who was bitten was sitting outside on her porch when the monkey jumped on her back and bit her in an unprovoked attack. She says that she doesn’t want the monkey to be killed but that lately the monkey had become aggressive with male teenagers in the area.
Officials think that the monkey was cast out of a wild colony of rhesus macaques that was released in Silver River State Park in 1938. Maybe he was cast out for being a jerk and biting others?
I joke, but I actually feel sorry for the monkey. I hope he is not killed because of this, though likely he will be because officials will be concerned for public safety. It is possible that he carries diseases like simian herpes.
Do you think the monkey will be killed? Or do you think there is hope that he can be taken to some sort of zoo or preserve?
©iStockphoto.com/Nathaniel Frey
I hope they don't kill him and he'll instead be taken to a preserve. Where's Jack Hanna when you need him?
Someplace people can care for him and he has other monkeys.
Quoting OrangeSunset:I hope they don't kill him and he'll instead be taken to a preserve. Where's Jack Hanna when you need him?
If you didn't live in Florida,
- stephwest1
on Oct. 11, 2012 at 12:00 AM