Mystery monkey of Tampa Bay becomes a Facebook phenomenon
| Miami
A fugitive monkey living for a year on fruit and trash in the Tampa suburbs is fast on his way to becoming a major cult hero with his own Facebook page and a growing list of devoted fans.
鈥淒on鈥檛 let them catch you!!!!! Run like the wind little monkey,鈥� writes Alexa on the Facebook page.
鈥淏est wishes all the way from South Korea. Stick it to the man,鈥� writes Jonathan, another supporter.
The object of all this attention is a rhesus macaque monkey which has been spotted for the past year in backyards from Tampa to St. Petersburg.
A Florida wildlife tracker had been hot his trail for months, but the little guy is fast and strong and has a knack for pushing the dart away before the tranquilizer can take effect.
The effort is attracting international attention, and most of the monkey鈥檚 fans are apparently opposed to efforts by Florida officials to catch and cage the elusive primate. Many are actively rooting for the monkey to, well, make a monkey of the would-be trappers.
Atop the evolutionary tree?
Florida officials are beginning to feel a bit defensive.
鈥淭his monkey is not outsmarting us,鈥� says Gary Morse of Florida鈥檚 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 鈥淭his monkey is getting away based on its athletic ability developed over years and years of evolution.鈥�
The now-famous monkey was last seen on Sunday in St. Petersburg swinging from a tree in a backyard pool enclosure. Reports are that the monkey dropped into the pool, scrambled out and was last seen fleeing with some grapefruit.
Mr. Morse is attempting to counteract the growing circus atmosphere with a warning. 鈥淭his is a very powerful and fast animal,鈥� he says. He says rhesus monkeys also pose a health risk.
鈥淲e are asking that people not feed it, not attempt to approach or catch it, but call us. Let us know its location,鈥� Morse says.
Please don't feed the international superstar
The plan may not work. The monkey already has more than 31,000 facebook friends. And that number seems to be growing by the minute.
鈥淥MG I just found out about you. You are cute and awesome,鈥� writes Soma. 鈥淩ock on!鈥�
鈥淒on鈥檛 forget to wear your big sunglasses and baseball cap little monkey so they won鈥檛 recognize you,鈥� Trish advises. 鈥淎nd keep running.鈥�
Officials say they have checked with all licensed owners of rhesus monkeys and none are unaccounted for. They say the fugitive may have been an unregistered pet that escaped or was released.
The other theory is that the little guy is an outcast from a group of wild rhesus monkeys that have been living in the forest near Silver Springs, Fla., since the 1930s. They were first brought there as part of a planned jungle cruise ride on the Silver River. In the 1930s and 1940s, several of the original Tarzan movies were filmed near Silver Springs.
Whoever set up the Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay Facebook page somehow managed to obtain an interview with the fugitive himself.
鈥淭here is some serious monkey business going on around here,鈥� the web page quotes the monkey as saying. 鈥淗ope everyone is having a great day, as for me I鈥檓 enjoying my freedom!!!!! Hey, what鈥檚 that鈥� Uh Oh, gotta go鈥�..鈥�
