This "mystery monkey" escaped authorities for years, stole countless treats

Oct 25, 2012 12:00 GMT  ·  By

It was back in 2009 when the people in Florida first came to understand that the Tampa Bay region was facing a serious threat: a so-called "mystery monkey."

The animal soon drew the attention of both ordinary folks and local authorities because it got into the habit of stealing all sorts of treats and because if often littered the streets.

In spite of several coordinated efforts to catch this daredevil Rhessus macaque, the animal somehow always managed to escape its pursuers and went about its thefting unhindered.

Luckily for the residents of Tampa Bay, the macaque was finally caught by the police and wildlife officials in Florida this past Wednesday, when the monkey was somehow "cornered" in a wooded area found in the proximity of the St. Pete neighborhood.

Speaking on behalf of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Baryl Martin explained how the mission went and made a case of how, "We concealed ourselves in the area, and we waited for the monkey to approach."

According to Tree Hugger, one wildlife expert who took part in this attempt to trap the macaque, wished to emphasize the fact that, "In some ways I'll give him credit. He knows not to get up into power lines."

Furthermore, "He'll run to a road, he stops and looks both ways for traffic before he runs across it. This is one of the most intelligent monkeys that I think I have ever seen."

In spite of its past thefts, the monkey will not be sent to prison. Quite the contrary: it will most likely get to spend the rest of its days in a wildlife sanctuary where trained staff will see to it that all its needs are properly met.

Just for the record, this species of macaques has no business living in Florida. Thus, they are native to Southeast Asia, and they only inhabit this part of the US because, in the 1930s, several of them were released in these natural habitats by people.

More information and footage of this "mystery monkey" is made available to you in the video below.