‘I was shocked:’ Strange monkey spotted along St. Johns River, viral video shows

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A recent viral video shows a monkey in a rather unusual place recently: a wooded bank along the St. Johns River.

The tour operator who took the video — Colin Innes with St. John’s River Eco Tours — told News 6 that he was out on the river near Orange City when he captured the strange sight.

According to Innes, in all the years he’s been working on the water, this was the first time he ever spotted a monkey.

“I looked up into a tree and kind of went, ‘What’s that!?’” he explained. “I got a little bit closer and realized that I had a monkey probably about 30 feet from me. And trust me, that’s not something you see out here on a regular basis whatsoever, so I was shocked.”

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Innes theorized the monkey might have gotten lost and wandered away from its potential home in the Ocala National Forest or the Silver Springs State Park.

While there’s no confirmation of its species at this time, a certain breed of monkey — called “rhesus macaques” — is relatively uncommon in those parts of Central Florida.

According to state officials, these monkeys were originally brought to Florida by the manager of a glass-bottom boat operation, who released six on an island in the Silver River to attract tourists.

However, the monkeys swam away from the island into the surrounding forest, breeding and increasing their numbers over the years.

While the population of monkeys in the Silver Springs State Park has reached as high as 400 at some points, trapping and removal efforts have kept them from getting out of hand. As of 2015, the FWC reported that there were around 190 inside the park.

Nowadays, these monkeys can be found throughout the state, though the FWC says that these sightings likely stem from the group of monkeys at Silver Springs.

Aside from environmental concerns, these monkeys pose a threat to public health, as rhesus macaques in Florida have tested positive for herpes B.

The CDC states that this viral infection is extremely rare, but it can lead to severe brain damage or even death. The virus can be transmitted by these monkeys through bites, scratches or contact with bodily fluids.

In addition, these monkeys may become aggressive when fed by people, so the FWC passed a rule in 2017 prohibiting locals from feeding any wild monkeys in the state.

According to the FWC’s rhesus monkey tracker, the following counties have had credible sightings of these monkeys outside of the core population:

In Volusia County alone, rhesus macaque sightings have been credibly reported to the FWC near the St. Johns River on three occasions: once in June 2006, and twice more in September 2018.

The FWC provides these tips for rhesus macaque encounters:

• Never approach or offer food to wild monkeys
• If a monkey is encountered, keep children close and pets leashed
• Dispose of uneaten food and garbage in closed trash containers
• If bitten or scratched by a wild monkey, immediately wash the wound and seek medical attention. Call the National B Virus Resource Center for emergency information at (404) 413-6550.
• If you observe a wild monkey that poses a threat to people, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922
• Any rhesus macaque observations seen outside of the core population near Silver Springs should be reported by calling the Exotic Species Hotline at (888) 483-4681 or by clicking here

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