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Search Progressing, But On 'Monkey Time'

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By KEITH MORELLI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 1, 2008

TAMPA - The troop of patas monkeys that escaped from a wildlife preserve more than a week ago is still on the loose, but searchers say the noose is tightening.

It's not easy catching a dozen adult monkeys and four newborns known for their speed and smarts, said Lex Salisbury, who runs the Lowry Park Zoo and is part owner of the Safari Wild preserve in Polk County where the monkeys escaped.

The good news, he said, is that all of the monkeys are within a couple of miles of the preserve. Some have left the group and are alone, he said, and others have stayed together. All are eating fruit left by handlers and are staying close by, he said.

Their capture may be a while away, though, he said.

"We have got to do this on monkey time," he said.

They are not dangerous, Salisbury said. Searchers mainly are keeping track of where they are being spotted and putting out food to get them used to feeding in predictable locations.

All are situated on the southern edge of the Green Swamp, an 860-square-mile expanse that stretches into Sumter County. One male patas has split from the group and has headed into the Green Swamp, Salisbury said.

Mostly the monkeys are on sod and cattle ranches that border the swamp. Ranchers are being patient, Salisbury said.

"The neighbors have been very nice about this," he said. "They recognize that these are not dangerous monkeys."

The troop was rescued from Puerto Rico recently and was scheduled to be euthanized when an animal rescue group stepped in and placed them at the Safari Wild preserve April 17.

They were on an acre-size island surrounded by a moat 60 feet wide and about 8 feet deep. Two days after arriving, the primates surprised many people by swimming the moat and scaling a large fence to escape into the wilds of Polk County.

There are 11 adults - two males and nine females - and four "bitty babies" that cling to the backs of their mothers, he said. "The newborns are stuck to their mothers like fleas."

Salisbury is keeping open options for capture, which may include shooting a net from a cannon to capture the whole group at once.

"We've got a lot of options at our disposal," he said. "We've got to be flexible."

The individual traps "work really well with one or two animals," he said. "But you can't use those to catch the group. You catch one or two, and the others will split.

"This is going to take some patience."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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