This Florida Park Is Infested With Herpes Infected Monkeys

Contracting herpes isn’t the first thought on your mind when enjoying a glass bottom boat tour. Over the past century, these herpes infected monkeys in Florida have been taking over one Florida park and people are noticing.

The Rhesus Macaques is a non-native monkey in Florida and they’ve been populating fast over the last 100 years. According to A-Z animals, there are about 400 of these diseased monkeys in Silver Springs park in Florida making their way to the streets of nearby towns. 

Back before the internet and seeing ads on television, Florida wasn’t the tourist attraction it is today. It was the 1930s and people were just starting to make extra cash to take the family on a vacation getaway.

Colonel Tooey was an operator at the glass bottom boat tours in Silver Springs Park. Trying to entice visitors from across the country, Tooey thought it was a good idea to release a few Rhesus Macaques monkeys onto an island near the park. In theory, the monkeys would stay contained on the island and visitors could experience a jungle cruise in the sunshine state. Dr. Malcolm, where are at? Tooey needed a lesson on Chaos Theory.

Tooey wasn’t aware that these particular monkeys were great swimmers and shortly after their arrival, they swam to land in the Silver Springs park and began to multipy. Today, there are, at times, more than 400 monkeys in the park and nearby towns. 

The macaque monkey carries the herpes B virus. These monkeys are known to be the original bearers of this specific herpes strain and a significant number of the monkeys in Florida carry this virus.

The CDC says that the viral infection to humans is “extremely rare”, but if you do contract the virus, it can lead to brain damage and death. You can only catch the virus through scratches, bites or bodily fluid swaps. 

These monkeys are aggressive towards humans so the FWC passed a rule prohibiting the feeding of the monkeys in the state of Florida. If you are bitten by the monkey, clean the wound and seek medical attention immediately. If you see a monkey posing a threat to humans, call the FWC at 888-404-3922.

For more information on the Macaques Monkey and other monkeys in Florida, click here.

There are a lot of dangerous animals in Florida. But if you ever wondered what the most dangerous are? This list was put together by A-Z Animals. Between 1999 and 2019 only 247 people in Florida died as a result of an animal attack. Florida ranks as the third deadliest state in the United States for animal attacks. Texas is number one with 520 and California is number two with 299. Those findings come from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, what is the first animal that you think of when you think dangerous in Florida? You probably think of the Alligator, but that isn’t the number one overall dangerous animal in Florida. The Great White Shark is the most dangerous animal in Florida. While not on the land in Florida Great White Sharks swim the waters around the state of Florida. Back in 2020 Florida had 16 shark bites on record. Second was Hawaii with only five.

The dangerous animals in Florida that didn’t make the top five are some that you may have thought could’ve been higher. Firstly, number six on the list is the Black Widow Spider followed by the Florida Panther. The Florida Panther is the state animal. It was chosen in 1982 by a vote of students throughout the state. Following the Florida Panther on the list is the Wild Boar. You can find the Wild Boar in all 67 counties of Florida. Their estimated population is over half a million.

Next is the Timber Rattlesnake. It is also known as the canebreak rattlesnake and it is a species of pit viper. The Timber Rattlesnake has a Chevron pattern and a stripe running down its body. Finally, coming in number 10 on the list is the American Crocodile. They are found along the coast of Florida as north as the Hillsborough/Pasco County border on the west side of Florida.

Below, you can find the top five most dangerous animals in Florida.

Yes, Great White Sharks are found in the waters around Florida. A almost 1,200 pound shark that was almost 13 feet in length was tracked back in March of this year.

#1 and #2 on the list are sharks. They are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They grow to about 11 feet and can live about 24 years.

Alligators live in all 67 counties in Florida. You can find alligators in any body of water including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps and man-made canals. We've seen multiple reports this year of gator attacks, even some fatal ones.

They are found in pine flatwoods, longleaf pine and turkey oak hammocks, sand pine scrub areas, and coastal barrier islands. Yes it is venomous.

It is venomous and can be found throughout Florida. It is called a cottonmouth because of the white color of the inside of its mouth.