Florida Monkeys?

[jlwilliams]

  There are feral rhesus monkeys living in Florida.  I've been thinking about planning a canoe trip in the Silver River State Park one of these days to go see some.  I go to Florida a couple times a year, so if I plan ahead I can get some outdoor time.  I've heard about the wild monkey there that were released in the '30s that successfully went ferral, so now there are these monkeys there.  Anyway, all this looking into it and I haven't found any mention one way or the other if anybody hunts them for any reason.  Are they treated like varmints?  Like some other invasive species?  Do people hunt them?  They can carry diesaeses, so are they safe to eat?  I think it would be a neat thing to taxederm one.  If people do hunt them, how"  Rifle (22, centerfire, airguns)? shotgun?  Trapping?
 
  I'm not actually planning on going there because I want to shoot a monkey.  I am curious though.  After all, when I think about going into the woods looking for something, the thought "How does that taste" naturally pops into my mind.

[Hellgate]

I await more info too. However, monkeys are so close to humans that we share quite a few diseases and parasites such as amoebic dysentery, yellow fever, hookworms, tuberculosis, maybe polio, etc so I wouldn't be throwing them into the back of my rig if I did shoot one. A primate veterinarian researcher once told me "If you shake hands with a monkey, you have eaten his crap". He worked in a research lab. So, consider them to be the most filthy disease ridden creature imaginable.

[Bugflipper]

No they trap them in box cages. From there they go to laboratories. The last time I had heard anything they trapped 700 of them. I don't know if herpes is just an std or if it can be passed on by being bitten? But anyway most of the ones they catch have it.

[muznut 54]

Africans eat monkeys   but I wouldn't.

[Dixie Dude]

The monkeys actually escaped back in the 1930's and 1940's where they filmed Tarzan movies at Silver Springs.  They filmed a lot of movies and early TV shows at Silver Springs because the water was so clear.  It is a nice place to visit with the glass bottomed boats, gardens, reptile shows. 

[52bagman]

I lived in the Tittusville FL area for several years around the early 80's. On the south end of town along the Indian river were monkey's that were either released or escaped from a small zoo operated by the original Tarzan (name escapes me at the moment).
There was a bar right across the road from the Kennedy Point Condo that they would get in a dumpster and drink what was left in the beer bottles and cans.

[Bugflipper]

I think you might have been thinking of the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movie franchise.
Now that would have been a sight to see, a bunch of drunk monkeys.
I used to see them in Tittusville as well. They would always be into some kind of mischief. But not as bad as their Asian relatives. To watch them on TV, they are just a bunch of little thugs. 

[briarpatch]

Got a friend that would tell me how he would hunt them with a 22. They were supposed to be from those that escaped from that little zoo in Tit-ville. The building is still standing and looks like the old zoo but is no longer used as such. I have never seen the monkeys, I guess they have all been eliminated.

[52bagman]

Yep those drunk little dudes would get rowdy, start fights and general kaos. I built the Kennedy Point Condo and spent a considerable amount of time in The Backdoor Lounge right across A1A. It was called several things in those days, Marker 34 and Easy Eddie's is two that I can think of at the moment.  The monkeys would come from the south side away from the river in the woods and descend upon the place.

[muznut 54]

I lived in central Florida for 19+ years and I thought Silver Springs was cool. I see why monkeys are just like people, Most Of them have the crud.

[Hellgate]

There are herpes viruses and there are HERPES viruses. Herpes simian B virus causes lip blisters (not sure all what else) in monkeys but kills nearly 100% of humans that get it. Most victims are researchers who get it from lab monkeys. So, if they were carriers of herpes B then they ought be gotten rid of as a health hazard. They must not have it or you'd have heard of it.

[hillbill]

wow, i had no idea? how dangerous monkeys could be? thanks to all posters. we dont have any monkeys here but they will be shot on site and never touched if i see one. with winters gettin warmer i expect it jus be a matter of time here in  MO!

[AtlLaw]

Herpes simian B virus causes lip blisters (not sure all what else) in monkeys but kills nearly 100% of humans that get it.

Moral:  Don't kiss monkeys!   

[jlwilliams]

Herpes simian B virus causes lip blisters (not sure all what else) in monkeys but kills nearly 100% of humans that get it.

Moral:  Don't kiss monkeys!   

  Note to self.......

[Bugflipper]

Looks like that's the type they have. http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/invasive-monkeys-spreading-herpes-virus-florida.html
The FL DNR is a strange lot anyhow. When a gator gets too mean they catch it and take it down to the everglades. May as well let him fatten up for a few years until he decides to go back to civilization.

[muznut 54]

I lived in central Florida for 19+ years and I thought Silver Springs was cool. I see why monkeys are just like people, Most Of them have the crud.