The Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation Commission is warning people in northeast
Florida be on the lookout for
these monkeys rhesus monkeys
can carry herpes B which can be
deadly to people.
>> The monkeys were first
brought to Florida back in the
1930’s kind of in the silver
Springs area but
have recently been spotted in
several different counties in
our area fact that this video
was recorded recorded in
northern Saint Johns County
primate behavior expert at
Tracy fan with the Jacksonville
zoo joins us this morning, good
morning. Thank you for being
here appreciate it. So.
How would someone
become infected.
>> By this bite by one of these
monkeys with the touch them was
a bite or scratch or even
contact with body fluids is the
way that herpes B virus is
transmitted. But the chances of
that happening from a
wild monkey are very low that
cases of herpes B transmission
to humans have always happened
in research settings in
laboratories and there’s no
known cases of herpes B
transmission happening from a
wild monkey But do we don’t
want to encourage people to
feed these monkeys if they see
them or get close to them do a
absolutely there can be serious
consequences to contracting
herpes B virus through a bite
or scratch from these animals,
but the chances of being
attacked by them
are no greater than with our
native wildlife in the area as
long as people are making
responsible decisions when they
encounter them, that means
don’t approach them don’t feed
them try not to leave garbage
out where they might find a
food source there and start
hanging around your location,
so they’re not necessarily
aggressive where you could be
walking out your backyard if
you live in rural areas, an
example and they would come up
and attack you for the most
part they’re going to avoid
humans unless they have
motivation to approach a human
area and that would be mainly
food if they know there’s a
food source in a human area.
They’re gonna
come there. So that’s why it’s
very important not to feed
them, it’s actually illegal in
Florida to feed wild. Monkeys
and it’s a second-degree
misdemeanor have to a $500 fine
too we might add as well.
So that said obviously want to
stay away from them what about
your pets, you know, you know
your cats or dogs at the kind
of Rome in
the area.
>> Could they can track this
and somehow give it to us.
I’m not sure how
transmissible that herpes B
virus is to household pets, but
it’s definitely a good idea to
keep
your pets.
>> Inside when the if you know
that there are these make acts
in your area and and would then
the cacs for any reason you
attack our pets.
They don’t look at them as a
food source correct the
only really didn’t care that
might happen is if the muck
hacks are looking at the pets
as a food source like a as far
as getting into pet food or
water sources that are put out
for the pets that might
actually draw the monkeys to
the location. So it’s
interesting too because we
we’ve we’ve heard than that you
know these date back to the
1930’s silver Springs, you kind
of an island there obviously a
big earthquake off the island.
Yeah, these monkeys can swim
very well and so that was how
they expanded their population
and also the climate we have in
Florida. They’re very
acclimated to their they’re
hearty in cold temperatures.
They’re also very hearty in
warm temperatures so our for
Florida climbing actually
allows them to thrive and
reproduce and their numbers to
grow and that is why the
population is spreading around
the state. So she could we anticipate I want to show our viewers at home you know where
these have been spotted, we
know that we spoke with a woman
who has seen them that has seen
one of them
kind of off of Girvan Road and
the wonderwood Expressway area
when she was out on a boat.
They’ve also been spotted in
Saint Johns County Putnam
County Flagler County Volusia
County should we anticipate
considering the fact that this
climate is perfect for them
that we could see more of them
moving around the area and
definitely think the fwc is on
top of this issue and looking
at what needs to be done to
control it but.
Yes, I think without
intervention this monkeys will
continue to spread and move 2
new locations because
when there’s a larger
population, they can’t live in
the same place so they’re
looking for new homes to live
and are looking for food, yes,
thank you for being here do
appreciated and we want to
remind you to fwc says if you
run into one of these monkeys
if you do want to keep a
distance if you’re able to
safely take a picture, it
would be great because then you
could reported to its exotic