Thu Dec 19 22:50:00 UTC 2024: **Mystery Monkeys Prompt Warning in Central Florida**
**Orange City, FL –** Authorities in Orange City, Florida, and surrounding communities are urging residents to avoid contact with wild monkeys sighted in the area this week. Police, who shared photos of the primates on social media, have received multiple reports since December 13th. The sightings have also been reported in Deltona and DeBary.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking anyone encountering a monkey to contact them immediately. Feeding wild monkeys is illegal in Florida, a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Officials warn that non-native monkeys can carry diseases like herpes B, transmissible through bites and scratches.
The timing of these sightings comes just a month after 43 rhesus macaques escaped from a research center in South Carolina. While authorities haven’t confirmed a connection, the proximity in time has raised questions. The Orange City Police Department is advising caution and emphasizing the importance of avoiding interaction with the animals.
First Piper 