Weird monkey sightings spread across Florida city, cops say. ‘I knew I wasn’t crazy’
Strange things occasionally happen at fast-food joints, but this? A large monkey has been seen hanging out at a fried chicken restaurant in Florida.
The sighting happened around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23, in Orange City, and Popeyes crew manager Kimberly Bialobos got multiple photos. Orange City is about 30 miles north of Orlando.
“I look over and I’m like, ‘Is this real? This cannot be possible,’” Bialobos told WRBW. “This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Not only working here. In my life. This is pretty crazy.”
Bialobos says the monkey was “pretty big,” too.
Her report was soon joined by other sightings, raising concerns there might be multiple monkeys roaming the city.
Orange City police officials got wind of the drama and they suspect the monkey — or monkeys — may be members of a little-known wild primate population in Florida. That population isn’t known to live near Orange City, but Florida’s alligators, pythons, bears and crocodiles are notorious for showing up in unexpected places.
“The Orange City Police Department has received multiple calls for service reference monkey sightings within the city,” police wrote in an Aug. 23 Facebook post.
“The monkey seen (on social media) has been identified as a wild Rhesus Macaques monkey. ... Please do not feed or attempt to capture these monkeys!”
Witnesses should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission if they come into contact with a Rhesus Macaques, police said.
A wild population of Rhesus Macaques monkeys was first documented along Florida’s Silver River in the 1930s, when “a commercial river boat captain” released a half dozen on an island to boost tourism, University of Florida researchers say. Turns out the monkeys are great swimmers and didn’t stay on the island.
“In 2015, it was estimated there were approximately 175 rhesus macaques among five groups in Silver Springs State Park, and the population was growing,” researchers said.
The park is about 60 miles northwest of Orange City and no one is offering explanations as to how one or more reached the Orlando suburb.
News that the potentially aggressive species might be secretly living in the area rattled social media. However, some commenters said it explained large shadowy creatures seen in recent weeks and a strange howling in the woods at night.
“Who went to Silver Springs and brought home a souvenir?” Clear Canoeing wrote on Facebook.
“See I knew I wasn’t going crazy. It was a monkey not a large cat,” Carolyn Ludwig said.
“When I moved to Florida, I knew I’d have to watch out for gators. Never did I think I would have to worry about a monkey!” TiaLynn Ekern posted.
“Who’s playing Jumanji?” Dennis Rawson asked.
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Weird monkey sightings spread across Florida city, cops say. ‘I knew I wasn’t crazy’."