On the glass-clear water at Silver Springs State Park, the usual roll call of Florida wildlife goes something like this: gators, otters, birds. Then, if you are lucky and in the right spot, a whole troop of rhesus macaques suddenly appears in the treeline just a few feet from kayakers and glass-bottom boat riders. It is a wildlife moment people do not forget, but park staff keep repeating the same message about these wild, nonnative monkeys: enjoy the view, do not get close.
A close encounter on the river
On a recent clear-water kayak tour, a guide told visitors the macaques had been spending more time deeper in the park, so the group started scanning the shoreline instead of the channel. Before long, a troop emerged along the bank. As reported by…..