09-06-2025
Wild monkey spotted on family's Lake County farm: 'What in the world?'
The Brief
A Lake County family spotted a monkey walking along their fence, and it was caught on camera.
The residents had never seen a monkey on their farm before.
FWC says wild monkeys are not native to Florida and advises people to keep a safe distance.
ALTOONA, Fla. - A Lake County family caught some monkey business on their property Sunday morning around 10 a.m. To their surprise, a monkey walked across their fence line, something they had never seen before on their farm in Altoona.
What they're saying
Kellie Wheeler was shocked when she first saw the monkey on their surveillance camera.
"At first I was like, what in the world is this?" said Wheeler. "I froze the frame and we zoomed in and I was like, oh my gosh, that's like finger-like feet and a monkey's profile. So we were kind of shocked that I had a random monkey walking down my fence line."
"A hundred percent it is possible because it's not that far from Silver Springs, but just actually seeing it on the fence line, like we'll see owls, we'll see hawks, we will see lizards, like butterflies that go through the cameras to set it off, but never a monkey. And at first I thought it was like a skinny cat until, you know, we zoomed in and it was not a cat," she added.
Big picture view
Wild monkeys, including rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta), are not native to Florida and may have negative impacts on native wildlife, ecosystems and agriculture. They can also carry diseases that can potentially be spread to humans to include rabies and herpes B.
If you encounter wild monkeys in Florida, it is important to keep a safe distance and never feed wild monkeys. You can report monkeys approaching people and acting aggressively to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
The Source
This story was written based on information shared through interviews as well as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
