Staff Reports
The City of Mount Dora put out a public safety warning after residents and cameras caught nonnative rhesus macaques wandering near downtown. That simple, short message — “don’t approach or feed them” — is the right first step. But the sight of monkeys at Lakeside Inn and Gilbert Park is a reminder that Florida’s wildlife headaches don’t fix themselves. This is not a cute tourist moment. It is a growing management problem with public‑health and ecological risks.
What happened — the sightings and the warning
Mount Dora officials posted a social‑media advisory after multiple reports and photos of rhesus macaques in the city. Local cameras and witnesses recorded primates near popular spots like the Lakeside Inn and Gilbert Park. The city told residents to admire the animals from a distance and to report sightings to wildlife authorities. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has the tools and hotlines for that reporting and urges people not to feed or try to capture the animals.
Why this matters — health, habitat, and history
Rhesus macaques aren’t harmless curiosities. They can carry diseases such as Macacine alphaherpesvirus 1 — often called herpes B — which is rare in humans but can be deadly if a bite or scratch is not treated quickly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says anyone exposed should seek immediate medical care. Beyond health, these monkeys are a classic invasive species. The Silver Springs macaque population began decades ago and has been hard to shrink. Past efforts like sterilization and trapping worked only with long, costly programs. Let them spread unchecked and you invite more fights, bites, and damage to native wildlife.
Practical steps residents should take
If you live in or visit Mount Dora, do the simple things that work: keep your distance, don’t feed wildlife, secure trash and pet food, and report sightings to FWC’s reporting tools or hotlines (the agency posts how to do that). If anyone is bitten or scratched, get medical help right away and tell providers it may have been a macaque exposure. Don’t try to be a hero or a viral‑video star by chasing or feeding the animals — that’s how troops learn to come back for more trouble.
Florida’s wildlife problems are often a mix of human error and policy drift. The Mount Dora advisory is the necessary first move. But we need a plan that is practical, science‑driven, and quick to act when these nonnative populations expand. Local leaders and state agencies should coordinate on monitoring, containment, and public education — or voters should be ready to ask why their towns are turning into open habitat for invasive primates. Either way, keep your distance, call it in, and don’t feed the monkey business.
