How fast can a monkey swim?
January 23, 2022 1:50 PM Subscribe
Saturday: four monkeys escaped from a truck in Pennsylvania. Three were recaptured but the fourth is on the loose.
24 hours later: a monkey is spotted running into a wood near Canterbury, Kent in England.
So, just how fast can a monkey swim?!
That depends, is it an African or European monkey?
posted by gusottertrout at 2:23 PM on January 23, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by gusottertrout at 2:23 PM on January 23, 2022 [12 favorites]
On the one hand I'm glad they're running free in the forest, on the other hand the whole situation is tragic, I hope they wind up ok.
posted by bleep at 2:39 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by bleep at 2:39 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
Isn't it more likely he took the red eye
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:39 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 2:39 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
This was discussed on biologist Jerry Coyne's website https://whyevolutionistrue.com this morning (great website btw). He said the monkey will certainly die from the cold. But the monkey was set to die anyway as it was being moved to a lab doing virus research. No happy endings here, sorry.
posted by charlesminus at 3:09 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by charlesminus at 3:09 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
Update: It was actually three monkeys, and all have been recovered and "humanely euthanized".
posted by dirigibleman at 3:10 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by dirigibleman at 3:10 PM on January 23, 2022
The Toronto Star ran the story yesterday about the monkeys escaping in Pennsylvania with a caution that people should not try to catch them, but instead to alert animal control authorities.
I initially scoffed at the utility of this caution, as Danville PA is a little over 500 km from Toronto. But now that one has crossed an ocean, maybe I have to reevaluate my skepticism. Lake Erie would not be that big an obstacle after all.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:30 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
I initially scoffed at the utility of this caution, as Danville PA is a little over 500 km from Toronto. But now that one has crossed an ocean, maybe I have to reevaluate my skepticism. Lake Erie would not be that big an obstacle after all.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:30 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
It's a pity that Pennsylvania isn't going to have a legendary colony of feral monkeys, along the lines of the New York sewer gators, Dorsetshire moor wallabies or possibly China's incipient feral ostriches.
posted by acb at 3:36 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by acb at 3:36 PM on January 23, 2022
"You are right, I have always known about man. From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain. He must be a warlike creature who gives battle to everything around him, even himself."
-Dr. Zaius.
posted by clavdivs at 3:37 PM on January 23, 2022 [5 favorites]
-Dr. Zaius.
posted by clavdivs at 3:37 PM on January 23, 2022 [5 favorites]
There are also colonies of parrots who can handle cold weather.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 3:46 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 3:46 PM on January 23, 2022
It's a pity that Pennsylvania isn't going to have a legendary colony of feral monkeys, along the lines of the New York sewer gators, Dorsetshire moor wallabies or possibly China's incipient feral ostriches.
(Insert your deep red central Pennsyltucky joke here)
posted by delfin at 3:51 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
(Insert your deep red central Pennsyltucky joke here)
posted by delfin at 3:51 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
That's a squirrel.
posted by dobbs at 4:00 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 4:00 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
No, it's a weather balloon.
posted by flabdablet at 4:06 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by flabdablet at 4:06 PM on January 23, 2022
There are also colonies of parrots who can handle cold weather.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz
Please go to Brooklyn Parrots for lovely birds.
posted by Splunge at 4:31 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by Nancy Lebovitz
Please go to Brooklyn Parrots for lovely birds.
posted by Splunge at 4:31 PM on January 23, 2022
There are also colonies of parrots who can handle cold weather.
A decade ago a macaque turned up in a Toronto IKEA; his name was Darwin and he was well prepared for cold weather.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:35 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
A decade ago a macaque turned up in a Toronto IKEA; his name was Darwin and he was well prepared for cold weather.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:35 PM on January 23, 2022 [2 favorites]
It's a pity that Pennsylvania isn't going to have a legendary colony of feral monkeys
Pretty sure anyone who comes from a place where they actually have to deal with colonies of wild urban monkeys will respond with "oh HELL no."
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:52 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
Pretty sure anyone who comes from a place where they actually have to deal with colonies of wild urban monkeys will respond with "oh HELL no."
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:52 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
The article I read had the inclusion of the cheery sentence "Ms Pelachick told NBC News it was not clear if the missing lab monkeys were carrying any illnesses," which was very "newspaper passage slowly panned over in a post-apocalypse setting flick in order to establish backstory."
posted by KChasm at 4:56 PM on January 23, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by KChasm at 4:56 PM on January 23, 2022 [16 favorites]
All macaques should be assumed to be carrying herpes B virus. Transmission is rare, but the virus can be lethal to humans.
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:06 PM on January 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:06 PM on January 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
Caught? Darn. Now we're never going to get a new localized ecosystem sub-species. Like the
Pocono Bonobo
Lancaster Langur
Altoona Baboona
Lesser Ape That Rhymes With Philadelphia
posted by bartleby at 5:14 PM on January 23, 2022 [7 favorites]
Pocono Bonobo
Lancaster Langur
Altoona Baboona
Lesser Ape That Rhymes With Philadelphia
posted by bartleby at 5:14 PM on January 23, 2022 [7 favorites]
So, just how fast can a monkey swim?
Eponysterical: As fast as a falling badger?
posted by cenoxo at 5:26 PM on January 23, 2022
Eponysterical: As fast as a falling badger?
posted by cenoxo at 5:26 PM on January 23, 2022
It is so cold out there, monkey should not be outside.
posted by vrakatar at 5:29 PM on January 23, 2022
posted by vrakatar at 5:29 PM on January 23, 2022
Now what are we supposed to do about the wave after wave of Chinese Needle Snakes?
Ooh, what if there was a swimming Mississippi River Monkey, that lived on kudzu and invasive carp?
posted by bartleby at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
Ooh, what if there was a swimming Mississippi River Monkey, that lived on kudzu and invasive carp?
posted by bartleby at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
Thinking of that monkey going through all of that and now being alone in the cold makes me really really down.
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 5:44 PM on January 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by NoThisIsPatrick at 5:44 PM on January 23, 2022 [4 favorites]
All macaques should be assumed to be carrying herpes B virus. Transmission is rare, but the virus can be lethal to humans.
Or local zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) got a colony of Japanese 'snow monkeys' - the same ones you see in the hot spring photos from Japan. I was very excited before they came and happened to run into a newly hired zookeeper for Brookfield Zoo (another Chicago area zoo) and asked him about it.
He said "I hate Macaques. You have to wear hazmat suits and it is just a big pain the ass to deal with them and clean their compounds". He was from California I think so hazmat suit overheating was a significant year round issue.
I think they are fun animals to see at the zoo and LP Zoo appears to just deal with them as normal animals with no special hygiene measures. I guess they have tests for whether they have herpes B or something. But I have been very disappointed that they have never done the hot tub thing in Chicago that I have seen. It turns out the monkeys in Japan do it because they don't really have a choice (their indoor space is a hike up a mountain). If the LP Zoo monkeys get cold they will just go inside which is about 20 feet away from the outdoor exhibit windows but they do seem pretty comfortable down to about -5C or so.
posted by srboisvert at 5:58 PM on January 23, 2022
Or local zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) got a colony of Japanese 'snow monkeys' - the same ones you see in the hot spring photos from Japan. I was very excited before they came and happened to run into a newly hired zookeeper for Brookfield Zoo (another Chicago area zoo) and asked him about it.
He said "I hate Macaques. You have to wear hazmat suits and it is just a big pain the ass to deal with them and clean their compounds". He was from California I think so hazmat suit overheating was a significant year round issue.
I think they are fun animals to see at the zoo and LP Zoo appears to just deal with them as normal animals with no special hygiene measures. I guess they have tests for whether they have herpes B or something. But I have been very disappointed that they have never done the hot tub thing in Chicago that I have seen. It turns out the monkeys in Japan do it because they don't really have a choice (their indoor space is a hike up a mountain). If the LP Zoo monkeys get cold they will just go inside which is about 20 feet away from the outdoor exhibit windows but they do seem pretty comfortable down to about -5C or so.
posted by srboisvert at 5:58 PM on January 23, 2022
Why would you let loose a pack of feral monkeys? What could you possibly get out of it?
In a word, chaos...
posted by jonp72 at 6:18 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
In a word, chaos...
posted by jonp72 at 6:18 PM on January 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yeah, this story is generating a lot of jokes everywhere but I don't find it remotely funny for any reason.
posted by whistle pig at 7:14 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by whistle pig at 7:14 PM on January 23, 2022 [6 favorites]
Yeah, the lack of any info about why exactly the monkeys were euthanized is really preventing my joke appreciation neurons from firing here. Not to mention the lack of any info about what the monkeys were on their way to a quarantine center for.
posted by mediareport at 7:21 PM on January 23, 2022 [9 favorites]
posted by mediareport at 7:21 PM on January 23, 2022 [9 favorites]
Not to mention the lack of any info about what the monkeys were on their way to a quarantine center for.
They have played an integral part in covid-19 vaccine research. They are almost certainly downplaying the destination and intended use to keep anti-vaxers and anti-science republicans from joining up with animal rights groups to further attack covid-19 science and medical treatment development.
posted by srboisvert at 7:44 PM on January 23, 2022 [7 favorites]
They have played an integral part in covid-19 vaccine research. They are almost certainly downplaying the destination and intended use to keep anti-vaxers and anti-science republicans from joining up with animal rights groups to further attack covid-19 science and medical treatment development.
posted by srboisvert at 7:44 PM on January 23, 2022 [7 favorites]
Macaque monkeys are a currently indispensable part of vaccine research, among many other life-saving and life-improving drugs and medical devices, as srboisvert says. We owe them for the rapid development of covid vaccines over the past two years: it would not have been possible without them. The U.S. has been suffering a severe shortage of laboratory macaques due to the increased need from covid vaccine research, and acquiring macaques for other purposes (e.g., neuroscience or gene therapy research) has become almost impossible over the last two years.
Regarding herpes B, this is indeed a virus that is mild and common in macaques, their equivalent of the cold sore virus, but can be deadly if humans contract it. Like other herpesviruses, it can switch between a phase where the infection is active and the virus is shedding, and a phase where the infection is dormant. If the virus is not shedding, there is no test that can identify if a monkey is carrying the virus, and a monkey that tests negative can seroconvert at any time and begin shedding the virus. In the US, at least, every Old-World monkey has to be treated as a potential carrier of herpes B, due to the small but serious risk of handlers contracting the virus. This is due to a handful of deaths that have occurred in laboratory workers over the years; other countries that have not had such incidents often lack similar regulations. Herpes B doesn't really transmit human-to-human (possibly with some very rare exceptions) so is not a risk to anyone other than those working with the animals directly.
When monkeys are imported or transferred between facilities, quarantining is always required. This is primarily to protect the health of the research colony: monkeys are extremely susceptible to tuberculosis, and if it gets into a colony it will devastate it. Bringing in new monkeys to a research colony entails a risk of introducing TB or another disease that could wipe out the colony, so strict quarantining procedures are always followed. Secondarily it helps to screen out any monkeys who may have active herpes B infections. This quarantine process is completely standard and doesn't indicate that the monkeys were carrying any sort of dangerous infectious disease for humans.
Regarding why some of the monkeys were euthanized: they were in a car crash. They were probably injured, and the attending veterinarian made the call that that was the most humane option. I say this on the basis of knowing the types of people who would be involved in making such a decision.
Finally, a note about truck transport for monkeys. Monkeys used for laboratory research used to be transported by air for long trips, which is safer, faster, and less stressful for the monkeys, but animal rights groups have spent the last couple of decades pressuring all the major airlines to agree to refuse to transport nonhuman primates. Consequently, long truck trips, which due to their duration are necessarily more stressful for the monkeys, are the only option available for transporting them between facilities. The risk of an accident is obviously a lot higher with a truck trip, as well, and for years I've thought that this type of incident would be the inevitable result of the airlines capitulating to pressure from animal rights groups.
posted by biogeo at 9:00 PM on January 23, 2022 [23 favorites]
Regarding herpes B, this is indeed a virus that is mild and common in macaques, their equivalent of the cold sore virus, but can be deadly if humans contract it. Like other herpesviruses, it can switch between a phase where the infection is active and the virus is shedding, and a phase where the infection is dormant. If the virus is not shedding, there is no test that can identify if a monkey is carrying the virus, and a monkey that tests negative can seroconvert at any time and begin shedding the virus. In the US, at least, every Old-World monkey has to be treated as a potential carrier of herpes B, due to the small but serious risk of handlers contracting the virus. This is due to a handful of deaths that have occurred in laboratory workers over the years; other countries that have not had such incidents often lack similar regulations. Herpes B doesn't really transmit human-to-human (possibly with some very rare exceptions) so is not a risk to anyone other than those working with the animals directly.
When monkeys are imported or transferred between facilities, quarantining is always required. This is primarily to protect the health of the research colony: monkeys are extremely susceptible to tuberculosis, and if it gets into a colony it will devastate it. Bringing in new monkeys to a research colony entails a risk of introducing TB or another disease that could wipe out the colony, so strict quarantining procedures are always followed. Secondarily it helps to screen out any monkeys who may have active herpes B infections. This quarantine process is completely standard and doesn't indicate that the monkeys were carrying any sort of dangerous infectious disease for humans.
Regarding why some of the monkeys were euthanized: they were in a car crash. They were probably injured, and the attending veterinarian made the call that that was the most humane option. I say this on the basis of knowing the types of people who would be involved in making such a decision.
Finally, a note about truck transport for monkeys. Monkeys used for laboratory research used to be transported by air for long trips, which is safer, faster, and less stressful for the monkeys, but animal rights groups have spent the last couple of decades pressuring all the major airlines to agree to refuse to transport nonhuman primates. Consequently, long truck trips, which due to their duration are necessarily more stressful for the monkeys, are the only option available for transporting them between facilities. The risk of an accident is obviously a lot higher with a truck trip, as well, and for years I've thought that this type of incident would be the inevitable result of the airlines capitulating to pressure from animal rights groups.
posted by biogeo at 9:00 PM on January 23, 2022 [23 favorites]
Regarding feral parrots, there is this from the Audubon Society:
Exotic Parrot Colonies Are Flourishing Across The Country
tldr: There are three species living in 23 states. (Scroll down to mid-article to find the map thereof.)
posted by y2karl at 10:55 PM on January 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
Exotic Parrot Colonies Are Flourishing Across The Country
tldr: There are three species living in 23 states. (Scroll down to mid-article to find the map thereof.)
posted by y2karl at 10:55 PM on January 23, 2022 [3 favorites]
A decade ago a macaque turned up in a Toronto IKEA; his name was Darwin
I'm surprised they didn't go with the usual Swedish naming convention and name him Linnaeus or something.
posted by acb at 1:05 AM on January 24, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm surprised they didn't go with the usual Swedish naming convention and name him Linnaeus or something.
posted by acb at 1:05 AM on January 24, 2022 [2 favorites]
why exactly the monkeys were euthanized
Given the location and season, I am thinking that they probably had hypothermia and probably due to their status as test subjects, it was considered more "humane" to euthanize them, than to treat the hypothermia. It is more sad than funny. If it was summer, it would be "funny" in a horribly dark ironic manner, with overtones of "Outbreak".
posted by rozcakj at 9:17 AM on January 24, 2022
Given the location and season, I am thinking that they probably had hypothermia and probably due to their status as test subjects, it was considered more "humane" to euthanize them, than to treat the hypothermia. It is more sad than funny. If it was summer, it would be "funny" in a horribly dark ironic manner, with overtones of "Outbreak".
posted by rozcakj at 9:17 AM on January 24, 2022
Lab animal veterinarians will not make the decision to euthanize an animal, especially not a primate, on the basis of convenience. But if you don't trust the ethics of people who do this work, the economics of that also don't make sense. Monkeys are incredibly valuable in crass financial terms, each one costing thousands of dollars. An amoral person making the decision about whether to treat hypothermia would easily conclude that treatment is less expensive than replacement. A lab animal vet would assess each individual's case and make a treatment decision on the basis of what's best for the welfare of the animal -- including humanely euthanizing the monkey if that's warranted given the severity of the injury.
posted by biogeo at 9:46 AM on January 24, 2022
posted by biogeo at 9:46 AM on January 24, 2022
As always, anything bizarre happens first, and bigger, in Florida. Here's the latest story I see on the colony of wild monkeys near Fort Lauderdale-- which was born from an escape in the 1940s.
posted by martin q blank at 11:29 AM on January 24, 2022
posted by martin q blank at 11:29 AM on January 24, 2022
Finally joined MeFi solely to be able to post this:
If you google "how fast can a grizzly bear swim" you are fed an answer so absurd that it has shattered my trust in all promoted answers given by the site. The ABC Islands of Southeast Antarctica?? Where would Southeast Antarctica even possibly be? Not to mention the conspicuous lack of bears in that general area. Come on people --and no obvious way to register my scathing complaint!
Fascinating feral monkey stuff here, though.
posted by wolfpants at 11:57 AM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you google "how fast can a grizzly bear swim" you are fed an answer so absurd that it has shattered my trust in all promoted answers given by the site. The ABC Islands of Southeast Antarctica?? Where would Southeast Antarctica even possibly be? Not to mention the conspicuous lack of bears in that general area. Come on people --and no obvious way to register my scathing complaint!
Fascinating feral monkey stuff here, though.
posted by wolfpants at 11:57 AM on January 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
Combined with the other thread, I'm now imagining a colony of sloths, released by exotic-pet enthusiasts who found them insufficiently rewarding/too much trouble, living in urban wasteland somewhere in the US.
posted by acb at 2:06 PM on January 24, 2022
posted by acb at 2:06 PM on January 24, 2022
Being local to Canterbury, Kent, I'm rather more interested in the question of whether I'm going to have a particularly memorable morning walk one of these days.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:01 AM on January 25, 2022
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:01 AM on January 25, 2022
Austin has a large colony of feral Monk Parrots. They survived the massive freeze and snow of Feb, 2021 that killed over 200 people in Texas.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:00 PM on January 25, 2022
posted by a humble nudibranch at 11:00 PM on January 25, 2022
« Older Not Your Normal Jukebox Musical | I have a soft spot for this kinda food. It's right... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by TedW at 2:17 PM on January 23, 2022 [20 favorites]