The population of rhesus macaques living in Silver Spring State Park in central Florida is expected to double in the next five years. This is concerning experts because 30 percent of the monkeys carry a form of herpes that can be deadly.
The rhesus macaques monkeys found in Silver Spring State Park, located in the central part of the Sunshine State, could likely nearly double by 2022, scientists recently wrote in the journal Wildlife Management. Currently, the population is about 300, National Geographic reported.
The monkeys — which are native to south and southeast Asia — have made their home in the state park since the late 1930s, when six rhesus macaques monkeys were allegedly released by a boat operator who was hoping to use the monkeys to start an exotic attraction, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
At least 30 percent of the primates at the park are carriers of the Herpes B virus, National Geographic reported, citing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's announcement earlier this year. While uncommon in humans, those infected with the virus can suffer “severe brain damage or death if the patient is not treated soon after exposure,” according to the CDC.
Film at 11...
