Wild monkeys with herpes in Florida, Population on the verge of doubling
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A population of monkeys that lives in Silver Springs State Park, carrying a herpes virus that is deadly to humans, could double in the next few years.
The troop of rhesus macaques were brought to Central Florida in the 1930s as part of a long-since closed attraction in the park. They were placed on a small island, but the monkeys didn’t stay there. There have been monkey sightings all over Central Florida, including one caught on camera in 2015 when students spotted a rhesus macaque running around on the roof of their school in The Villages. In 2017, cellphone video recorded aggressive monkeys taking over a park pavilion and going after people. The monkeys carry a herpes virus that is deadly to humans and can be spread through a bite or scratch.
“People should never approach these animals,” said University of Florida professor Steve Johnson, who was part of a team that spent years studying the monkeys. “People shouldn’t feed them. It’s not legal to feed them anymore.”
Researchers estimate the monkey population in Silver Springs is around 200,000. “By the year 2022, there are probably going to be around 400,000 animals,” Johnson said.
https://www.wftv.com/news/local/wild-monkeys-with-herpes-in-central-florida-population-on-the-verge-of-doubling/898061214