Police have issued a stern warning after residents spotted “really big” monkeys roaming around a Florida community.
The Orange City Police Department told residents in the town to “NOT feed or approach” the roaming animals under any circumstances after they received multiple reports of monkey sightings, as shared by the department in a Facebook post Monday.
Local resident Evelyn Coira Arquette told WKMG that she saw a monkey climbing onto her fence. She initially thought it was a cat but was stunned by its size.
"I have three cats, and so I looked at his body and was like, ‘Wow, that’s really big’. I mean, we’re talking about four feet, probably long.
“He just turned his face and looked at me, and I didn’t know what to say.
“I didn’t know if he was going to come and jump my way. I started backing up, and I just ran for it,” she said.
Police did not specify how many monkeys had been sighted or were on the loose.
First sightings initially began on December 13 and similar reports were made to authorities in neighboring cities Deltona and DeBary, Orange County deputies told ABC.
The monkeys, suspected of being rhesus macaques, are believed to be wild.
It is illegal to feed wild monkeys in Florida, and the offense is considered a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine or up to $500 and 60 days in jail, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
People who come into contact with the roaming monkeys are asked to contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for assistance, said police.
The sightings follow a shocking incident that unfolded in November when 43 monkeys escaped a research facility in South Carolina – forcing locals to keep windows and doors closed and remain vigilant.
Twenty-five of the monkeys were reportedly recovered, the lab’s CEO told CBS on November 10.
The Independent contacted Orange City Police Department for further information.
