Hunt for mischievous monkey after series of mysterious car break-ins in Florida

Apollo Beach residents have reported hearing the monkey screaming



One resident says he believes the monkey is behind local car break-ins because no valuables have been stolen

It is believed to be a rhesus macaque - the same kind that terrorized the streets of St Petersburg for years until he was caught in 2012



The hunt is on for a mischievous monkey believed to be behind a slew of mysterious car break-ins in Apollo Beach, Florida.



The primate has been spotted monkeying around on the streets of Mirabay, where residents have reported him screaming and rifling through their belongings.



Fox 13 photojournalist Corey Beckman saw the cheeky monkey, which appears to be a rhesus macaque, the same kind that terrorized St. Petersburg residents until it was caught in 2012, and a neighbor snapped a photo.

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Spotted: A monkey, pictured, has been seen roaming the streets of Mirabay in Apollo Beach, Florida

Trouble: The monkey, a rhesus macaque, is thought to be responsible for a series of car break-ins

Beckman, who noticed the monkey taking a rest on a path outside his home, said he believes the monkey is behind a couple of break-ins that happened a week earlier, Fox13 reported.

'You'd think anybody breaking into a car wound find it nice seeing a GPS there an iPod but they just left it all sitting here,' Beckman said.

But he quipped: ' I didn't have monkeys on the iPod... Maybe it didn't like my music.'

No one has been harmed by the animal and neighbors said they just want it caught and moved.

It is not clear where the monkey has come from, but rhesus macaques were brought to the Silver River State Park by a boat ride operator in 1938, so it is likely part of this colony.



Terrorized: Fox 13 photojournalist Corey Beckman, who spotted the monkey, said he believes it is behind car break ins because nothing of value has been stolen Shock: Beckman shared his surprise on Twitter after seeing the monkey outside his Mirabay home

MONKEY BUSINESS: WHY DOES FLORIDA HAVE RHESUS MACAQUES?

Rhesus macaques have the widest geographic ranges of any nonhuman primate. The monkeys, which are native to South, Central and Southeast Asia, can live in a broad range of habitats, from grasslands to forests, and often live near humans.

In Florida in 1938, a colony of rhesus macaques was established in the Silver River State Park. The monkeys were reportedly released by tour boat operator to enhance his Jungle Cruise ride - unaware they could swim.

The rhesus macaques have since thrived in the central Florida woods. Their colony grew to about 100 and in the 1980s, there were reports that the monkeys had attacked a 3-year-old boy and threatened a game warden. Most recently, a monkey attacked a 60-year-old woman in 2012 before it was captured.

It is the second monkey who has terrorized Florida's in recent years.

In 2012, a rhesus macaque who had eluded capture for more than two years - and attacked a woman - was caught on a low tree branch following a five-hour stakeout in south St Petersburg.

And if the Mirabay monkey returns, authorities can learn from the St Pete monkey.

Initially, afforts were made to lure the monkey with companionship and food, first by using a female monkey and then Doc, a one-year-old male sitting inside a trap with fruit.

Another plan that authorities had tried was enticing him with bananas - but he always nabbed the fruit and ran off before he could be caught.

Eventually, he was shot with a tranquilizer dart and officials waited for its effects to set in - but the monkey ran off, leading to a chase for 50 to 100 yards.

Second sighting: The Mirabay monkey is believed to be the same type that terrorized St Petersburg for years. The primate, pictured, was eventually caught in 2012 after a five-hour stand off with handlers

But after the dash through a wooded area, a wildlife trapper grabbed it with his hand and a pole.

Beckman added: 'After working the last monkey running around in Pinellas county that's the first thing that popped in mind, "Oh my God, we have one in our neighborhood too".'

If you see the monkey, you are urged to call: 1-888-404-3922.

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