Florida police are advising residents in the town of Orange City to avoid monkeys that have been sighted roaming around the community this week.
On Monday, the Orange City Police Department shared photos of a loose monkey on its social media pages, showing the out-of-place primate walking along a fence.
Police advised residents of Orange City, a town located about 30 miles north of Orlando, to not feed or approach any monkeys, and to contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) if they are spotted.
The Orange City Police Department did not respond to a request for comment about the current status of the monkeys. However, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported on Tuesday that there had been numerous monkey sightings not only in Orange City but in the nearby Volusia County communities of Deltona and DeBary.
Police have not speculated where the monkeys came from.
Monkeys spotted roaming Florida communities
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, reports of monkey sightings in the area began in early December.
In a Dec. 5 video posted on Facebook by St. Johns River Eco Tours, a sightseeing boat cruise company in DeBary, a monkey hops from branch to branch among trees close to the river.
More: Orange City Police warn residents about roaming monkeys after ‘multiple’ sightings
Recent monkey escapes
Last month, 43 rhesus macaques monkeys, described as “very young females weighing approximately 6 – 7 lbs,” escaped from Alpha Genesis, a primate research facility in Yemassee, a small town about 60 miles west of Charleston, S.C.
On Dec. 9, the Beaufort County Post and Courier reported that four of those monkeys had still not been captured and remained on the loose.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal also reported that Orange City had dealt with a similar escaped monkey situation last year.
“Don’t feed it. Don’t pet it. It’s not your average animal at the zoo,” Orange City Police Lt. Sherif El-Shami said in August 2023.
Are monkeys dangerous?
Both law enforcement and the FWC encourage residents to avoid monkeys they see out and about.
In addition to potential injuries from an attack, the agency also warns residents that these animals “are documented carriers for various diseases,” according to a 2018 FWC announcement prohibiting the feeding of wild monkeys.
“Rhesus macaques can carry herpes B, a potentially fatal disease in humans if not treated immediately,” the document said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “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.”
Feeding wild monkeys could also make monkeys dependent on people for food and cause them to become territorial, which can result in aggressive behavior and potential injuries, according to FWC.
Brenno Carillo contributed to this report.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Loose monkeys seen in Florida towns prompt police warning
