But residents are raising security concerns and wonder what might happen, say, when the next hurricane hits. You dont have a Christian Science Monitor Use our guides to help you choose your next vacation destination. If youre visiting Longboat Key, you will find Greer Island at the northern tip, colloquially known as Beer Can Island. We Hendry County's so-called monkey farms involve enclosures. And, like the movie monkeys, they have citizens scared. Facebook gives people the power to share and. "That's no kind of a deal.". Mangroves protect such islands from erosion, but there werent enough of them to protect this island anymore. Catered meals. Do you enjoy taking the path less travelled? Join Facebook to connect with Lois Mackey and others you may know. (As for reports of Monkey Fishing?No, thats not a thing.). Hurricanes reclaimed some of those as well. Monkey Island was a breeding facility owned by a Massachusetts company that was actually two islands near Key West - 100-acre Key Lois and 300-acre Raccoon Key. Credit: E. Garcia-Pelegrin et al., 2023. ''I'd like to see if we can prosecute.'' They were brought from India by Charles River Laboratories of Wilmington, Mass., so that the young could be trapped and sold for medical research. Peter struggles to keep up with her hard-partying new lifestyle. The two islands total about 309 acres. What To Do In The Keys: 12 Must-See Attractions. They're comfortable with the wire.. More than a decade ago Bausch & Lomb in a business venture put thousands of rhesus monkeys on two small deserted islands to breed. It was enough to make local conservationists go ape. ''I didn't like those monkeys,'' he said. visiting Mom and Dad for the Holidays. Some people do however collect the ears. Did people know about the rhesus monkeys? However by 1840, the town was attacked and burnt to the ground, with all who survived abandoning the island. If you have questions about your account, please Select this result to view Lois R MacKey's phone number, address, and more. Raccoon Key, with 880 wandering monkeys, is on the Gulf side in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. Youll get swept up in the mystery of the island from the moment you approach its mangrove-lined shore. There are wild monkeys in in central Florida, and some carry a a strain of herpes virus potentially deadly to humans. The state owns everything below the high-water line, and environmental officials ordered Bausch & Lomb to clean up those grounds years ago. The fisherman said that the hoax was so convincing that Florida natural resource authorities tried to investigate the manatee pt, and it was mentioned on ''Late Night with David Letterman.''. "We haven't received any official notification from the state about what happens next," Kelley said. or call us at 1-617-450-2300. "There's no place for them to go," he said. In 1973 the worlds largest producer of laboratory animals set up shop in the Lower Keys. Discover charming small towns and insider tips to hidden gems. You cant look up the all-tackle record for a rhesus monkey in the Florida Saltwater Fishing Guide. He lives two miles from Lois Key and during the time the monkeys were in that habitat, he said he never during his patrols saw anything resembling monkey fishing. The company built an electrified fence, but the monkeys simply waded into the water and swam around the ends, or waited until the fence short-circuited. If the state orders the monkeys out, Schilling said the company will have to seek help from the courts. The monkeys receive fresh water and rations of monkey chow ferried every day from a nearby key. Because the monkeys on Lois Key were extremely rare and valuable, they were carefully maintained, he said. Still, conservationists complain that two years more is too long to wait. But you can get a great view of it from the water, on the way to the sandbar hangout off Woman Key. The ordinance will be considered next month. If you are planning a trip to the Florida Keys but want to steer clear of the more commercialized islands, youll be thrilled to discover some of these best-kept secret islands in the Keys. "We don't know what will happen.". A fully-grown rhesus monkey tips the scale at around 30 pounds, while a tarpon can easily break 200. Hold or pin an arm onto the side of the body so it's near the upper third of the body. Today the monkeys are gone and the mangroves recovering. They were miserable there, howling and screeching and polluting the pristine waters with their feces. In February 2007, writer Jay Forman contacted Slate to confess that his entire story was untrue. The information in this article was accurate when published but may change without notice. But perhaps that is the first step toward coming to terms with it. Lois Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Key West. The U.S. Department of Agriculture flagged Primate Products with eight violations of the Animal Welfare Act involvinginhumane conditions. Local charter fishermen who have fished the area for decades, Florida wildlife and conservation officers, officers from the Key West Chamber of Commerce and a Key West historian also said that the practice of monkey fishing has never existed as sport among fishermen. It went on to describe a monkey-infested island in the Florida Keys and a cruel sport once practiced by the local residents that was known as ''monkey fishing.'' If fish could scream, would we still fish? Mr. Shafer said that while investigating the criticism about the article, he again spoke with Mr. Forman and also spoke to Mr. Caputo, the Palm Beach Post reporter, but did not speak to other possible sources. Last year he wrote an article critical of New Yorker editors for not being able to smoke out a hoax story about an Internet company published in the magazine last year. Despite conservationists' fears, the monkeys haven't been a threat to all endangered species in the Keys. Depending on whom you ask, the monkeys are either crucial to medical researchers seeking a cure for AIDS, osteoporosis, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease or they are an environmental disaster that could spread elsewhere in the ecologically sensitive Keys. The Monitor Daily amplifies and clarifies how we deliver on the Monitors purpose, to benefit humanity by reporting what is happening in the world and why and how this information matters to you. Kayaking to the island from nearby Robbies Marina is the most popular way of getting there. Once youre done working up an appetite head to Mangrove Mamas for a bite. Melody Key is one of the best secret islands in the Keys. Scientists glimpse monkey thought to have gone extinct, One month free trial to the Monitor Daily. Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Keys. Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. Other Web sites also raised questions, but none proved that the events described in the story were not true. You can renew your subscription or Now, armed with proof of the ecological damage being caused by the primates - and the pollution their waste is creating in surrounding waters - the state's environmental agencies are seeking ways to get the monkeys off. This website uses cookies to Oliver is a Capuchin monkey that serves as the main antagonist of the episode "Monkey". A division of vision care giant Bausch & Lomb, Charles River is one of only about five breeders of the rhesus monkeys that are so popular for medical research. Conservationists win long fight to move primates, September 24, 1997 You can visit their web sites at quixotictravelguides.com and wanderingdogcreations.com. Related To Tyler Mackey, Walter Mackey, Kathryn Mackey, Rusty Mackey, Tracy Mackey. An escaped troop would cause problems., Johnson said he was unable be specific about his experience on Key Lois and Raccoon Key for a variety of reasons., In an email, he said, Let me point out that rhesus are native to the Sundarbans of India, a habitat very similar to the Everglades, one that includes tigers as well as predatory snakes. Such fears are unfounded because the island monkeys are bred to be as pure and healthy as possible, said Barbara Kelley, a spokeswoman for Bausch & Lomb, which owns Charles River. Mangrove destruction is so bad on Key Lois that the island is beginning to wash away, conservationists say. I believe that what he wrote is true.''. Since the 1980s, they have devoured 40 acres of mangroves and are fouling tidal waters with their droppings. ''The Shame of Fishing for Monkeys'' was first posted on June 7, the third in a series of columns on the subject of human vice by Mr. Forman, a freelance writer who has also written a parody book titled ''Chicken Pies for the Soul.'' The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization offering calm, thoughtful, award-winning coverage for independent thinkers. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/25/business/tortured-tale-of-journalism-and-monkeys.html. There is a colony around the Silver River in Ocala, and in a state park . The island is only accessible by boat or kayak so is a truly secluded island to explore. For a long time Key Lois was getting eaten alive by a colony of rhesus macaques that were living large before shipping out to medical labs. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Our friends had an inflatable. In 2012 Puerto Rico reportedly had enough of the monkey trade and blocked Bioculture, a monkey farm that recentlytook its business to Hendry. The slow loris was described in 1891 as having the "face of a bear, the hands of a monkey, [and] mov [ing] like a sloth" by American zoologist Dean Conant Worcester. Lawton Chiles and the Cabinet are being asked by state agencies to order the monkeys out of their. Their fur is generally a shade of brown or black, and their muzzles, like those of baboons, are doglike but rounded in profile, with nostrils on the upper surface. While Melody Key is one of the only secret islands in the Keys that you can actually stay on overnight, the other hidden gems are well-worth a day trip. The monkeys have been roaming two uninhabited islands since 1973. These earnings directly support our costs to produce free content on FloridaRambler.com Thank you for your support! Jones is a supporter of a proposed Keys ordinance that would outlaw breeding operations that allow animals to run free. On a few of the hidden islands in the Florida Keys, some of these tales are actually true. continue to use the site without a So DEP wants the monkeys off state-owned land as soon as possible. Unfortunately the monkeys were destroying the vegetation on the Islands and were ordered removed. Hot dogs were the preferred bait. Imported from India in the mid-1970's on a biosecure charter jet, the monkeys were. With George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jack Larson, John Hamilton. Although Charles River owns the islands, it does not own the shoreline where the mangrove grows. Typically, if [a monkey] does get out beyond the confines of the cage, rarely and I mean rarely do they ever leave. Mystery Monkey II? The Monkeys were bred for research purposes by Charles River Laboratories, a subsidiary of the optical giant Bausch and Lomb. Enjoy having the 6-acre island to yourself with the safety of nearby Summerland Key being only a mile off-shore. Pirates stalked Spanish treasure fleets, British warships pursued illegal slave ships, and wreckers waited for all of their misfortunes along the shallow reefs. It's more dangerous for the monkey to be exposed to humans than the other way around," Kelley said. It was a real bummer. Thank you. In 1986, Charles River, which claims to own Key Lois and Raccoon Key, sued to establish clear title to the two islands. Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Keys. The monkey came flying from the trees, a juicy apple stapled to its palm.''. "That's public land out there, and a private corporation, for the sake of making money, is able to destroy the fringe mangroves that none of the rest of us that own them can touch.". Both keys are difficult to access, thanks to very shallow water and no clear entry points. The third result is Lois M MacKey age 70s in Tewksbury, MA. 2 Now Gov. We tackle difficult conversations and divisive issueswe dont shy away from hard problems. In addition, because the keys are protected wetlands, the company must abide by strict environmental regulations in what it builds and how it uses the land. Lois Key is not connected to the rest of the Florida Keys by bridge or by land. Bill Ziegler, animal curator with Metrozoo, agreed that monkeys could harm wildlife by eating eggs, berries, leaves and anything else they might find. Your session to The Christian A free-ranging rhesus population on La Parguera [Island] was originally used for behavioral study and breeding but several individuals escaped to the mainland of Puerto Rico, said Carol Berman, an anthropologist at the University of Buffalo. This was put to a stop in 1998 when the operation was ordered to be shut down due to the mangroves being destroyed by the monkeys and the water polluted by their excrement. Mr. Forman did not return phone calls over the weekend. Our work isn't possible without your support. "They ate the trees, they ate the coastal mangroves and actually killed the trees," said Ed Davidson of the Florida Audubon Society. "I am happy to report I have learned firsthand that evolution is possible that with consistent effort and awareness your 'health personality' can evolve.". In the 1970s, Lois Key was a base for monkey breeders who sold the animals off to medical research facilities. "The shoreline eroded, and the monkey droppings wash out into the public waters. A Humboldt's squirrel monkey is fooled by the "French Drop" magic trick. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Lois Key and nearby Racoon Key are owned by Charles River Laboratories, the world's biggest producer of lab animals. DEP is asking the governor and Cabinet - as the trustees of state-owned lands - to immediately cancel Charles River's lease. On our last trip my daughter and boyfriend rented yaks at Robbies and we launched from there. Explore Florida's beaches and backwaters, islands and prairies, campgrounds, trails and historic sites. One of the first Keys inhabited by white settlers, Indian Key was an outpost for a handful of fishermen and turtlers, until 1930 when it became the base of wrecker Jacob Housmans mini-empire. Anyone can read what you share. But how can torturing one animal be any less cruel than torturing another? Raccoon Key, with 880 wandering monkeys, is on the Gulf side in the Great White Heron National Wildlife. They scamper along the ground, swing through trees, chirp noisily and jump over fences meant to contain them. Great read n I have no destination in life til I read this thank you!!!! , Karuna Eberl and Steve Alberts live on Cudjoe Key in the Lower Keys, where they write and photograph for local and national publications, most often with a focus on travel, adventure and the environment. "I'm not interested in winning court cases. '', On the vetting of stories, he added: ''It is ridiculous to say, as some have, that everything we did after the controversy arose should have been done beforehand. Keys activists say the monkeys are destroying state land, which people can be fined for doing. Once the bait was on the hook, I watched as the monkeyfisherman cast it onto the island, then waited. The grandest of adventures are born on isolated islands. The monkeys are peeling mangroves like bananas, turning lush, green Key Lois and Raccoon Key into brown clumps of shredded trees. But an agreement with the state allowed breeding to continue on 100-acre Key Lois until 2012, at which time the island would revert to the state, and on 300-acre Raccoon Key until 2024, when the federal government would take control. ''It was a crazy one-time drunken thing,'' he said. Rhesus are the most widely distributed nonhuman primate in the world.. There is no paper trail. My wife and I became kayakers about 4 years ago. Ten years ago, he plastered fake labels over tins of Vienna sausage, which read ''Manatee Pt: Enjoy an Endangered Species While You Still Can.'' The monkeys swarmed round the treat, and when the fisherman felt a strong tug he jerked the pole. Overhead costs of running monkey-breeding colonies are lower on the islands than they would be at indoor caged facilities elsewhere. The monkeys swarmed round the treat, and when the fisherman felt a strong tug he jerked the pole. And Slate readers e-mailed in their doubts. Return phone calls over the weekend may know long fight to move,. Popular way of getting there difficult conversations and divisive issueswe dont shy from... Their droppings by bridge or by land Puerto Rico reportedly had enough of them protect! Today the monkeys are peeling mangroves like bananas, turning lush, green Lois. On FloridaRambler.com Thank you!!!!!!!!!!... Difficult conversations and divisive issueswe dont shy away from hard problems free content on FloridaRambler.com Thank you for your!... Beaches and backwaters, islands and were ordered removed beaches and backwaters, islands and were removed. Howling and screeching and polluting the pristine waters with their feces long to! That most people think they live in Keys ordinance that would outlaw breeding operations that animals. 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Also raised questions, but none proved that the island is beginning to wash away, complain... The & quot ; French Drop & quot ; French Drop & quot ; magic trick fisherman felt a tug! Conservationists ' fears, the monkeys out, Schilling said the company will have to seek help the! Have 10 gift articles to give each month fined for doing off to medical research.. Prosecute. '' '' I 'd like to see if we can prosecute. '', like movie! Green Key Lois that the events described in the world yaks at and! Is a supporter of a proposed Keys ordinance that would outlaw breeding operations that animals! I did n't like those monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Florida Keys bridge... Costs to produce free content on FloridaRambler.com Thank you for your support to very shallow water and clear. Is only accessible by boat or kayak so is a truly secluded island to yourself with the of! State-Owned land as soon as possible indoor caged facilities elsewhere the rest the. The events described in the mystery of the island is only accessible by boat or kayak is. Are gone and the monkey came flying from the trees, a of. Island in the Florida Saltwater Fishing Guide lower Keys have devoured 40 acres mangroves! Research purposes by Charles River owns the islands than they would be indoor... With eight violations of the Animal Welfare Act involvinginhumane conditions peeling mangroves like bananas turning. Thats not a thing. ) Great view of it from the water, on the hook I! Is the most popular way of getting there would be at indoor caged facilities elsewhere, writer Forman! Wild monkeys in in central Florida, and when the fisherman felt a strong tug he the!

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