Florida Boaters Shocked To See Monkeys Diving Into River: “It Was The Craziest Thing I’ve Ever Heard”

monkeys

Chalk this up as something you don’t expect to see…

Florida is known for a huge variety of wildlife, which include panthers, alligators, sharks, sting rays, pythons, bobcats, and pretty much every animal you could imagine, including a non-native species that has made their home in the middle of the state.

Rhesus Macaques are a species of monkey native to Southeastern Asia, but a wildlife tour company released some into the Florida forests over a century ago, surely not thinking they would continue to multiply and thrive well into the future, but alas, the thick jungle serves as a fantastic habitat for these primates.

Now, Silver Springs State Park in Ocala is home to over 300 of these creatures, and just a few weeks ago, boaters were treated to quite the sight when they came up on dozens of them jumping from high in the trees into the river.

Matt Schwanke told Fox35 Orlando…

“Just sounded like war going on back there. Just crazy hooting and hollering and screeching…

It’s just the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Apparently, the monkeys were in some sort of turf war when the boaters approached. No one knows for sure what caused or ended the encounter, but at the end of the day both the monkeys and tourists were unharmed.

Florida…

You just literally never know what to expect.

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