Hundreds of rare wild monkeys — some carrying herpes — are on the loose in Florida after a tour guide brought the spunky critters to the state long ago.
Wildlife officials said that three pairs of Rhesus monkeys were transported to a park near Ocala in the 1930s by tour operator Colonel Tooey after a “Tarzan” flick sparked a fascination with the creature.
But the breed has since boomed and more than 1,000 of the monkeys now live in the state, wildlife officials say. State officials have caught more than 700 of the monkeys in the past decade — most of which tested positive for the herpes-B virus. Wildlife officials now consider the monkeys a public health hazard.
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| A wild Rhesus monkey grins from a tree in Silver Springs, Florida. |
I know several people from Florida (and lived there myself for a brief period), and doubt that the people of Florida are "terrorized" by them.
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