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some monkeys Animals continue to roam St. Louis, Missouri, and the city’s health department has now suspended searches for wandering animals, city officials said.
Health Department spokesman Willie Springer told The Associated Press that the animal was first reported Thursday near a park on the city’s north side.
The monkey appears to be a vervet monkey.
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Vervet monkeys are medium-sized primates native to Africa.
They are known for their grey-green fur and dark facial features, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
An unknown number of vervet monkeys, like the one shown here, are said to roam in St. Louis, Missouri. (St. Petersburg)
Vervet monkeys that live near human settlements are sometimes considered pests. may steal foodraiding crops and taking other goods often leads to lethal control measures, the foundation noted.
At this time, it is unclear exactly how many monkeys are roaming and who owns them.
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Springer said the largest number of monkeys ever reported together was four, suggesting it was not a large group roaming the city.
In St. Louis, residents are not legally allowed to own monkeys, so they are unlikely to claim ownership.
Officials said there was still no clear information on the number of monkeys released or their affiliations. (St. Petersburg)
Officials, including primate experts, st louis zoo, They were working to locate the animal.
While residents are on the lookout for monkeys, some AI generated image Officials say false reports complicate tracking and capturing the monkeys.
Primate experts from the St. Louis Zoo were assisting in the search for the animals. As of Monday, the city health department had suspended its search for the wandering animal. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
“There’s been a lot of talk about AI and what’s real and what’s fake,” Springer said. “People are just having fun…I don’t think they’re putting anyone in harm’s way.”
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The city Health Department said in a Facebook post that residents with first-hand information or sightings should report it directly to the St. Louis Department of Citizen Services.
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City officials are asking residents to stay away monkeys Contact the authorities instead.
Fox News Digital has reached out to St. Louis Animal Control and the St. Louis Zoo for further comment.
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Justin Hauser, director of the Department of Health and Environmental Health Bureau, said Monday that the city transitioned its efforts from investigation to wildlife ordinance enforcement. fox 2 Reported.
Hauser also said the city is aware of sightings and videos shared on social media. “These posts cannot be verified and are not used in city searches,” Fox 2 noted.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
