( NewsNation ) — Officials in Florida are warning residents to keep their distance from wild monkeys after they were spotted roaming through multiple communities this week.
Rhesus, vervet and squirrel monkeys were recently seen in Florida, NewsNation local affiliate WFLA reports. One rhesus macaque was captured on camera sitting on a fence in Orange City, which is just north of Orlando.
Orange City Police said on social media it is important to not feed or approach the monkeys if residents see one. Instead, they should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for help.
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A band of monkeys has lived in Florida since the 1930s when a commercial riverboat captain released about six rhesus masques on an island in the Silver River to boost tourism. By the 1980s, there were about 400 monkeys. About 1,000 macaques were trapped, removed and sold to biomedical research facilities from 1984-2012. An estimated 175 rhesus macaques among five groups in Silver Springs State Park were reported in 2015.