Go Monkey Go
March 5, 2010 12:24 PM Subscribe
There is a rhesus macaque monkey on the loose in Saint Petersburg, Florida. It seems to get around. It has been shot with tranquilizer darts a number of times, but always gets away. It has been roaming the Tampa Bay area for at least a year. It has fans on facebook.
Tampa represent!
I'll just say what i've said before here, and elsewhere.
I love my state. Average age, temperature, and IQ: all 80
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 12:27 PM on March 5, 2010 [5 favorites]
I'll just say what i've said before here, and elsewhere.
I love my state. Average age, temperature, and IQ: all 80
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 12:27 PM on March 5, 2010 [5 favorites]
If this monkey doesn't show up on the next season of Dexter, I will be very disappointed.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:29 PM on March 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:29 PM on March 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
Too bad there aren't two rhesus macaques in Saint Petersburg.
posted by dunkadunc at 12:36 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dunkadunc at 12:36 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
Looks like they brought in the same police sketch artist they used for the Unabomber.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:40 PM on March 5, 2010
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:40 PM on March 5, 2010
During the 90s, I spent some time observing a mixed feral population of rhesus macaques (M. mulatta) and crab-eating macaques (M. fascicularis) in the New Territories above Kowloon. Let me say that those little fuckers are smart, fast, and they are really good at taking your stuff.
They are also awesome.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:46 PM on March 5, 2010 [4 favorites]
They are also awesome.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:46 PM on March 5, 2010 [4 favorites]
The could easily lure it in so they could capture it.
All they need is a bag of Rhesus Pieces.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 12:46 PM on March 5, 2010 [4 favorites]
All they need is a bag of Rhesus Pieces.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 12:46 PM on March 5, 2010 [4 favorites]
I've never seen this monkey, but I have seen some wild iguanas living in the Hillsborough River near my house. I mean, aside from your normal river wildlife like alligators, otters, manatees, and the occasional dolphin who comes upstream from the Bay. Oh and that one time they tried seeding the river with sturgeon. It's basically the best thing about living where I do — proximity to wild animals.
Seminole Heights/Sulphur Springs stand up!
posted by penduluum at 12:53 PM on March 5, 2010
Seminole Heights/Sulphur Springs stand up!
posted by penduluum at 12:53 PM on March 5, 2010
mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey: "The could easily lure it in so they could capture it.
All they need is a bag of Rhesus Pieces."
Well, cannibalism isn't unheard of in primates, so it might work. Don't you think there's other food they might like better, though?
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 1:09 PM on March 5, 2010
All they need is a bag of Rhesus Pieces."
Well, cannibalism isn't unheard of in primates, so it might work. Don't you think there's other food they might like better, though?
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 1:09 PM on March 5, 2010
I've never seen this monkey, but I have seen some wild iguanas living in the Hillsborough River near my house.
Wait, are we talking an invasive species, or are there actually native wild iguanas? I thought they occur farther south than Florida.
posted by bettafish at 2:11 PM on March 5, 2010
Wait, are we talking an invasive species, or are there actually native wild iguanas? I thought they occur farther south than Florida.
posted by bettafish at 2:11 PM on March 5, 2010
Wait, are we talking an invasive species, or are there actually native wild iguanas?
They're not native, no. Released pets would be my guess. But a little colony of about three (that was the most I saw at one time) lived nearby a few years ago, hung around for a few months, and then either drifted off or died.
posted by penduluum at 2:35 PM on March 5, 2010
They're not native, no. Released pets would be my guess. But a little colony of about three (that was the most I saw at one time) lived nearby a few years ago, hung around for a few months, and then either drifted off or died.
posted by penduluum at 2:35 PM on March 5, 2010
i'm honestly surprised that there aren't more monkeys that cohabitate with humans. I'd think that along with pigeons, rats and roaches, they would be relatively well-adapted for living in human modified habitats.
posted by empath at 3:24 PM on March 5, 2010
posted by empath at 3:24 PM on March 5, 2010
empath: "i'm honestly surprised that there aren't more monkeys that cohabitate with humans. I'd think that along with pigeons, rats and roaches, they would be relatively well-adapted for living in human modified habitats."
As I understand, this is really common in India. And, apparently, they're getting political and demanding representation.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 3:29 PM on March 5, 2010
As I understand, this is really common in India. And, apparently, they're getting political and demanding representation.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 3:29 PM on March 5, 2010
waitng for the eating macaque joke...
posted by marvin at 3:41 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by marvin at 3:41 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
i'm honestly surprised that there aren't more monkeys that cohabitate with humans.
There are quite a lot, actually. The difference is that monkeys are smart and greedy, while pigeons and cockroaches are pretty much content to nibble off of our droppings. In Cape Town, South Africa, for one, you can see monkeys all over in the residential areas. To anyone living there, they are fucking awful pests: stealing garbage, teaming up to raid restaurants, attacking people walking down the street with food, etc. It kind of bugs some of the locals that the tourists are all "monkey! squeeee!" Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has a similarly close monkey-human ecosystem, but I don't know much about the local opinions on it.
posted by whatzit at 3:42 PM on March 5, 2010
There are quite a lot, actually. The difference is that monkeys are smart and greedy, while pigeons and cockroaches are pretty much content to nibble off of our droppings. In Cape Town, South Africa, for one, you can see monkeys all over in the residential areas. To anyone living there, they are fucking awful pests: stealing garbage, teaming up to raid restaurants, attacking people walking down the street with food, etc. It kind of bugs some of the locals that the tourists are all "monkey! squeeee!" Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has a similarly close monkey-human ecosystem, but I don't know much about the local opinions on it.
posted by whatzit at 3:42 PM on March 5, 2010
I keep hearing that this particular monkey shakes off the tranquilizer darts like they are mosquitoes...is anyone else wondering if this monkey has had its physiology altered while being raised in some sort of testing facility? Ala Harry Harlow?
No one seems to be talking about where it's from and that makes me think the individual missing the monkey doesn't want to come forward.
posted by squasha at 5:15 PM on March 5, 2010
No one seems to be talking about where it's from and that makes me think the individual missing the monkey doesn't want to come forward.
posted by squasha at 5:15 PM on March 5, 2010
From Joakim Ziegler's link:
One approach has been to train bands of larger, more ferocious langur monkeys to go after the smaller groups of Rhesus macaques.
That sounds like something that they would do in a cartoon.
posted by Bonzai at 6:21 PM on March 5, 2010
Bonzai: "
One approach has been to train bands of larger, more ferocious langur monkeys to go after the smaller groups of Rhesus macaques.
That sounds like something that they would do in a cartoon."
It also sounds like something they'd do at the beginning of a horror movie. And then, "No matter who wins... We lose."
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 1:08 AM on March 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
One approach has been to train bands of larger, more ferocious langur monkeys to go after the smaller groups of Rhesus macaques.
That sounds like something that they would do in a cartoon."
It also sounds like something they'd do at the beginning of a horror movie. And then, "No matter who wins... We lose."
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 1:08 AM on March 6, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah, when I saw that bit about raising more ferocious monkeys to combat the ones which have already killed someone, I thought it'd be pretty evident what a horrible idea that is. I've seen enough science-fiction/horror films to know where that leads.
posted by operaposthuma at 11:00 AM on March 6, 2010
posted by operaposthuma at 11:00 AM on March 6, 2010
Has anyone alerted Stephen Colbert?
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:32 PM on March 8, 2010
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:32 PM on March 8, 2010
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posted by cashman at 12:26 PM on March 5, 2010