Monkey hangs around at Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park
HARMFUL DISCREDIT UPON HIS DEPARTMENT. HIS LAST DAY IS NOW SET FOR JULY 24TH. ALL RIGHT. WHEN YOU GO TO THE PARK, MOST LIKELY YOU’RE SEEING THE DOGS, THE BIRDS AND THE SQUIRRELS. NOTHING NEW THERE, BUT A MONKEY WAS SPOTTED HANGING FROM A TREE AT A MOUNT DORA PARK, WHERE KIDS PLAY EVERY DAY. AND THAT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND CENTRAL FLORIDA. WESH NEWS SPOKE WITH PARENTS WHO ARE NOW KEEPING A CLOSER EYE ON THEIR LITTLE KIDS. AND THE MONKEYS THAT WERE SPOTTED OUT HERE IN GILBERT PARK IN MOUNT DORA WERE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IN SIZE. AND IT’S GOT PARENTS DEFINITELY ON HIGH ALERT WITH THEIR OWN LITTLE ONES MONKEYING AROUND. OH, YOU’RE TOO SMALL TO GO UP THE SLIDE ON THIS HOT FRIDAY. KIDS AND PARENTS CAME TO GILBERT PARK, WHERE THERE’S PLENTY OF SHADE FROM THE MATURE TREES, BUT SOMEONE SPOTTED SOMETHING ELSE IN THOSE TREES. THURSDAY A LARGE MONKEY. WE SHOWED THOSE PHOTOS TO PARENTS. THAT’S CRAZY. I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN A MONKEY LIV OR OUTSIDE OF, LIKE, OUTSIDE OF, LIKE, A ZOO. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT ALONE WOULD BE SHOCKING AND SOMEWHAT FEARFUL. WE DIDN’T SPOT ANY FRIDAY, BUT MONKEY SIGHTINGS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE NOTHING NEW. A COLONY OF RHESUS MACAQUES HAS CALLED OUR AREA HOME SINCE THE 1930S, AND THEY’VE BECOME A PART OF FOLKLORE. I USED TO HAVE A BOAT A FEW YEARS AGO, AND MY WIFE AND I WOULD ALWAYS COME THROUGH THE CANAL FROM LAKE EUSTIS INTO LAKE DORA, AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU WOULD ABSOLUTELY SEE HIM SWINGING FROM THE TREES. WHILE THE MONKEYS ARE CUTE. FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE SAYS THEY’RE NOTHING TO PLAY WITH. THE MONKEYS ARE AN INVASIVE SPECIES AND CARRY DISEASES THAT COULD POSSIBLY SPREAD TO HUMANS, INCLUDING RABIES AND HERPES. B PARENTS SAY THEY’RE NOT AFRAID OF THEM, BUT WITH LITTLE ONES AROUND, THEY’LL BE SURE TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE. IT WOULD BE COOL FOR A SECOND, BUT AGAIN, I PROBABLY WOULDN’T GET WOULDN’T GET TOO CLOSE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, JUST IN CASE. STILL, KIDS CAN’T DENY THAT SEEING ONE IN THE WILD WOULD BE PRETTY SPECIAL IF YOU WERE TO SEE A MONKEY HERE AT THE PARK. HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? HAPPY. HAPPY? CAUSE MONKEYS ARE SILLY. COVERING LAKE COUNTY IN MOUNT DORA, LUANA MUNOZ WESH TWO NEWS. THEY ARE IN CARTOONS, NOT SO MUCH IN PERSON. LET’S LEAVE THAT GUY ALONE. THE ABC SAYS IF YOU DO SPOT MONKEYS, KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE AND DO NO
A large monkey – or monkeys – was spotted Thursday hanging out in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park. The photos of the monkey have been making the rounds on social media, leaving parents on high alert as they bring their kids out to play. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a monkey live or outside of a zoo. I think that alone is shocking and somewhat fearful,” said Kendrick Crockett.WESH 2 did not spot the animals Friday, but monkey sightings across central Florida are nothing new. A colony of Rhesus Macaques has called our area home since the 1930’s and they have become part of folklore.”I used to have a boat a few years ago. My wife and I would come through the canal from Lake East. Every once in a while, you would absolutely see them in the trees,” said Brock Stocksett.While the monkeys are cute, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says they are nothing to play with. The monkeys are an invasive species and carry diseases that could spread to humans, including rabies and Herpes B.Kids and parents say it may be cool to see one but are aware to keep their distance.FWC says to never feed a wild monkey. If you see one you can report it to http://IveGot1.org. People can also report monkeys approaching people and acting aggressively to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
MOUNT DORA, Fla. —
A large monkey – or monkeys – was spotted Thursday hanging out in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park.
The photos of the monkey have been making the rounds on social media, leaving parents on high alert as they bring their kids out to play.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a monkey live or outside of a zoo. I think that alone is shocking and somewhat fearful,” said Kendrick Crockett.
WESH 2 did not spot the animals Friday, but monkey sightings across central Florida are nothing new. A colony of Rhesus Macaques has called our area home since the 1930’s and they have become part of folklore.
“I used to have a boat a few years ago. My wife and I would come through the canal from Lake East. Every once in a while, you would absolutely see them in the trees,” said Brock Stocksett.
While the monkeys are cute, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says they are nothing to play with.
The monkeys are an invasive species and carry diseases that could spread to humans, including rabies and Herpes B.
Kids and parents say it may be cool to see one but are aware to keep their distance.
FWC says to never feed a wild monkey.
If you see one you can report it to http://IveGot1.org.
People can also report monkeys approaching people and acting aggressively to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).