Monkey Business: Researchers Find Origins of Florida Monkey Colony

A colony of monkeys has lived for about 70 years in urban South Florida, near jets taking off from a nearby airport and fuel storage tanks.

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In this undated photo provided by Deborah Williams, a Vervet monkey is seen in Dania Beach, Fla. Williams, is the lead author of a study that determined where a colony of monkeys that has lived for about 70 years in urban South Florida came from. In 1948 a group of monkeys escaped from the Dania Chimpanzee Farm. Most were captured, but some disappeared into the mangrove swamp. The study determined that 41 descendants live in the area today. (Deborah Williams via AP)
Image via AP Photo/Deborah Williams

This article was republished here with permission from The Associated Press, however it is no longer available to read on Snopes.com.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A colony of monkeys has lived for about 70 years in urban South Florida, near jets taking off from a nearby airport and fuel storage tanks. No one was quite sure where they came from. Until now. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University say they have traced the colony’s origins to the Dania Chimpanzee Farm. The South Florida SunSentinel reported Wednesday there was a monkey escape from the farm in 1948,…

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