Residents of St Louis are facing an unexpected invasion: a troop of mischievous monkeys has taken to roaming the city streets. The sudden appearance of these primates has left many residents wondering how they ended up in this part of town.
According to officials, the monkeys were spotted in the north side of the city, specifically around O'Fallon Park, and are believed to be vervet monkeys. These small, black-faced primates are native to East Africa but have been known to cause trouble when living among humans.
Residents who came face-to-face with the monkeys described their experience as surreal, like something straight out of a movie. "This is not something we've ever seen before," said Justen Hauser, environmental health bureau chief for the St Louis department of health. "We're working to capture these animals and transport them to a facility that can care for them properly."
However, officials are urging residents to exercise caution when dealing with the monkeys, as they can be unpredictable and aggressive under stress. "They're very intelligent and social, but may be unpredictable or aggressive under stress," warned Hauser.
The origin of the monkeys is still unknown, but experts speculate that they may have been released from captivity or escaped from a nearby zoo. The St Louis zoo has identified the primates as vervet monkeys, which are often viewed as pests in human-dominated areas due to their tendency to steal food and raid crops.
As the situation unfolds, residents are being advised to contact authorities if they spot any of the monkeys, rather than attempting to approach or capture them themselves. The department of health is working with partner agencies to safely capture the animals and relocate them to a suitable facility.
The unexpected appearance of these primates has sparked concerns about exotic animal ownership in St Louis, where keeping such creatures as pets is prohibited.
According to officials, the monkeys were spotted in the north side of the city, specifically around O'Fallon Park, and are believed to be vervet monkeys. These small, black-faced primates are native to East Africa but have been known to cause trouble when living among humans.
Residents who came face-to-face with the monkeys described their experience as surreal, like something straight out of a movie. "This is not something we've ever seen before," said Justen Hauser, environmental health bureau chief for the St Louis department of health. "We're working to capture these animals and transport them to a facility that can care for them properly."
However, officials are urging residents to exercise caution when dealing with the monkeys, as they can be unpredictable and aggressive under stress. "They're very intelligent and social, but may be unpredictable or aggressive under stress," warned Hauser.
The origin of the monkeys is still unknown, but experts speculate that they may have been released from captivity or escaped from a nearby zoo. The St Louis zoo has identified the primates as vervet monkeys, which are often viewed as pests in human-dominated areas due to their tendency to steal food and raid crops.
As the situation unfolds, residents are being advised to contact authorities if they spot any of the monkeys, rather than attempting to approach or capture them themselves. The department of health is working with partner agencies to safely capture the animals and relocate them to a suitable facility.
The unexpected appearance of these primates has sparked concerns about exotic animal ownership in St Louis, where keeping such creatures as pets is prohibited.
But seriously, can you imagine being out for a walk and suddenly running into a troop of wild monkeys? It's crazy! I'm glad the health department is taking this seriously and working to capture them ASAP. Those little guys might look cute, but they're not pets! 
And yeah, it's also raising questions about exotic animal ownership in St Louis. Maybe this is a wake-up call for people to think twice before getting some furry (or scaly) friend at home? 
people need to be more careful with their animals, this is crazy! Interesting 
how did they even get into the city? Maybe they were part of a circus or something?
It's like they're saying "peace out" to captivity and embracing their inner free spirits. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good story about a troop of clever monkeys causing trouble in the city? I'm not worried about them stealing food or raiding crops – they'll probably just end up having more fun than we do! 
Plus, it's a great excuse to explore O'Fallon Park and see if you can spot these furry little troublemakers.
! I mean, who expects monkeys on the streets? It's like something out of a movie, right? But seriously, it raises some interesting questions. Like, what happened to these guys? Did they escape from a zoo or get released into the wild? And how did they end up in St Louis, anyway?
so like this is crazy right? a troop of monkeys just showing up out of nowhere in st louis 
. i hope the health department can catch them and find a safe place for them.
. should we be allowed to have wild animals as pets? let me know what you think! 
I mean, who expects to see monkeys just roaming around in st louis? it's like something out of a movie too... I'm kinda surprised that there's no one from the zoo coming forward saying they had them on loan or something... the part about them being intelligent and social but unpredictable under stress is pretty interesting 
.
. shouldn't they've thought of that before letting these primates roam free? 
. seriously tho, why are people so worried about their pets? keep yer exotic animals at home, fam 