Picture over: A rhesus macaque. Not the rhesus macaque in question, granted, but it should give you an idea of what to look out for if you’re in the Tampa Bay area
A rogue monkey that has eluded capture for more than a year and appears to be immune to tranquiliser darts has once again escaped from Florida wildlife officials.
Authorities were called to a neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Florida on Wednesday when the escaped rhesus macaque monkey was spotted.
The monkey was twice hit with tranquiliser darts, but still managed to make its escape by ducking behind a drug store and a church.
Wildlife rehabilitator Vernon Yates told The Tampa Tribune that the tranquilisers don’t appear to affect the animal, though officials have increased the dosage each time they’ve used the drug on the monkey. Yates says the monkey is also very clever, even stopping to check traffic before crossing a busy street.
Officials didn’t explain how the monkey got loose in the first place, although they did reassure concerned Floridians that it isn’t considered a threat to humans.
