Wild Monkeys Keep Florida Trappers Busy

MIAMI —  Hey, hey, they’re the monkeys! And the sneaky stray simians are driving people bananas.

Trappers have spotted wild monkey colonies for years in the area, but a recent spate of trouble calls comes from a new crop of monkeys escaping from unlicensed owners, said exotic-wildlife trapper Todd Hardwick.

“Boy, we got monkeys coming out of our ears down here,” Hardwick said. “Since January, I’ve handled probably 35 or 40 monkey calls just in Dade County.”

Hardwick has caught a dozen stray monkeys in the Miami area this year.

“There’s been a very marked increase,” said Lt. Kathleen Kelley of the state Game and Fresh Water Commission. “Catching them is one of our priorities.”

But Hardwick said that can be difficult. One recent call took him to a seventh-floor condominium.

“When I stepped on the balcony, he smacked me right on the mouth,” the private animal catcher said. “The bottom line is I’ve faced snakes 250 to 300 pounds. I’d rather do that than tangle with a monkey.”

Many of the loose capuchins, a favorite of organ grinders, have their long canine teeth intact and will bite to get away.

“Everybody else, they look at a monkey and say, ‘Oh, a cute monkey,’ ” he said. “I’ve had them throw my own traps down at me. They’ll pick avocados and mangoes and oranges and throw them at me.”