We paddled about 2 miles from the launch to Shell key. Unfortunately the monkeys were destroying the vegetation on the Islands and were ordered removed. Did monkeys cross the ocean to North America? An excellent strategist, she understands the various layers from policy maker concerns to credit committee perspectives, as well as operator focus. They were brought from India by Charles River Laboratories of Wilmington, Mass., so that the young could be trapped and sold for medical research. 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 overall had a nice day but wre disappointed we did get to Indian Key. A few have remarkable stories. aka "Monkey Island" Some say monkeys were used in cosmetics research experiments on Looe Key. Boaters who happened upon Lois and Raccoon Keys (a.k.a. Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Keys. Discover charming small towns and insider tips to hidden gems. Includes Address (12) Phone (9) Email (4) See Results. Feb 2020 - Present3 years 3 months. "They ate the trees, they ate the coastal mangroves and actually killed the trees," said Ed Davidson of the Florida Audubon Society. I was not the kind of kid who tortured animals. Our work isn't possible without your support. While only accessible by boat and off-the-grid, dont be fooled into thinking youll be roughing it on Melody Key. | More than 1,900 breeding animals and several thousand offspring roam on 300 acres of partly submerged wetlands on Key Lois and Raccoon Key. Murder is acknowledged as a sport in hunting, so long as you eat the victim and dont merely kill him. 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. From pirate gold to giant apes, the mystery of what might be found on a speck of land peeking up through a vast sea has captivated imaginations for millennia. We went with some friends 5/8/22 to show them Indian and Ligumvitum Key. Hold or pin an arm onto the side of the body so it's near the upper third of the body. The latest twist in the simian saga caught the breeders by surprise. ''I didn't like those monkeys,'' he said. It is an easy kayak from U.S. 1, and nearby Robbies Marina rents boats. Catered meals. "Lois and I have worked together for many years on key strategic and financing questions across Nigerian and West African agriculture. "It's all about money. Slate is published by The Slate "We haven't received any official notification from the state about what happens next," Kelley said. Mr. Caputo said that the three men had used lighter tackle than Mr. Forman had written about. Mr. Caputo said that when he spoke with Mr. Shafer, he was asked about the logistics of the trip, rather than the specifics, like snagging a monkey from a tree. 2023 "Evil Monkey Song" is a song written by Chris Griffin and performed by Splash Log, a band formed by students at Buddy Cianci Junior High School. Cagumas is the Spanish name for the Caribbean Sea Turtle. "They just stripped the state land and left it bare," the governor said at that Cabinet meeting. The marina also offers fishing charters for those looking to cast a line. But Davidson and other critics of the company's operations take little consolation in that donation. More than 1,900 breeding animals and several thousand offspring roam on 300 acres of partly submerged wetlands on Key Lois and Raccoon Key. Locals kayak to the untouched island regularly and the area is also a popular fishing spot with tarpon inhabiting the waters, making it one of the best secret islands in the Keys for fishing enthusiasts. Explore them here. "This is needed for Florida's ecology," said DEP's Schwartz. If a zoo is a white-collar prison, this was Oz. An ongoing series of reports by The Fort Myers News-Press has focused worldwide attention on what is being called the monkey breeding capital of the U.S. Predation from pythons, panthers, alligators, etc. A fascination with the bizarre. Soon after, legions of ships departing the New World would catch the trade winds along the Florida Straits. I have friends who have landed tarpon on them, and tarpon are much bigger than monkeys. The plan workedthey got plenty of attentionbut how it affected the actual issue I am not sure. In an e-mail letter over the weekend, Mr. Kinsley wrote, ''The story we published was fiction in key aspects. I wish I was not telling this story. If fish could scream, would we still fish? Like a Washing Machine Drum on Spin Cycle. This is not the case, however, in war, which is government-sanctioned murder where you do not eat the victim, according to the Geneva Convention. Just wanted to say we love this site. Surely some signs remain, but we have not yet had the pleasure of exploring this ourselves. Curtis Kruer, a Keys biologist, has spearheaded the monkey-removal effort since 1981. Use our guides to help you choose your next vacation destination. But in an interview on Friday, the fisherman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that only once before the journey with Mr. Forman and Mr. Caputo -- ''maybe twice,'' he said -- he got drunk and rowed out to Lois Key, to bait monkeys with a fishing rod. Key Louis also known as logger head key on the Ocean side of Summerland Key and Raccoon Key on the Gulf side. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. A status hearing on the 4-year-old ownership suit is scheduled for Aug. 30 before Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Ignacious Lester. A fully-grown rhesus monkey tips the scale at around 30 pounds, while a tarpon can easily break 200. 2 He says the company has tried for several years to obtain permits to build cages for the free-roaming monkeys, but those permits have been denied. Red Delicious were chosen over Granny Smith for the advantage in contrast. Now Gov. Kruer is one of a growing number of Keys activists gearing up for a man vs. monkey battle. Sex. Charles River Laboratories fenced in and replanted some trees, but disputed the boundary and sued the state in 1986. subscription yet. "What was once a red mangrove fringe around Key Lois is gone," said David Schwartz, a DEP attorney. **I do not own the rights to this content**Season 1, Episode 11NeighborhoodWhen the kids are bored, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Elephant and Eric Nagler decide to e. Apparently he's still out there. They scamper along the ground, swing through trees, chirp noisily and jump over fences meant to contain them. Pirates stalked Spanish treasure fleets, British warships pursued illegal slave ships, and wreckers waited for all of their misfortunes along the shallow reefs. Monkey Island) were treated to a real-life Island of Doctor Moreau, complete with eerie monkey calls and simian silhouettes roaming the shoreline. 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. Not for long. ''Unless they know a person, they would never get close enough to be visible, let alone eat from a hook,'' he said. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Rhesus are the most widely distributed nonhuman primate in the world.. Here are six of our favorites, not necessarily in any particular order. There's also the heralded Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay and asimilar freedom fighter that caused a sensation last Thanksgiving. Many of the abandoned islands in the Florida Keys have colorful histories which are interesting to learn more about. Key, more than 1,000 rhesus monkeys frolic in the sun of the Florida Keys. Do you enjoy taking the path less travelled? The old towns remains are largely un-excavated. Ive never heard of anyone landing a monkey on lightweight fly rods, but I suppose it is possible. BILL ROBERTS, a lawyer for the company, says Charles River recognizes the environmental problems the monkeys have caused. Only 25 miles from Key West and just two miles from their closest neighbors on Summerland. ''It is not factually possible to hook a monkey on a fishing pole,'' he said. Boat rentals and seasonal tours launch from nearby Robbies Marina. , 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. They have removed and taken away state lands.". If youre visiting Longboat Key, you will find Greer Island at the northern tip, colloquially known as Beer Can Island. We left Summerland Key in a small skiff one sunny afternoon and motored out down Lois way. Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lois_Key&oldid=953221805, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 April 2020, at 08:44. All rights reserved. That designation falls on a 14-acre island nine miles west of Key West, which used to be owned by beloved developer David Wolkowsky Ballast Key. Schwartz is leading the state blitz in court to get the monkeys off. Its more of the kind of thing that is weepingly confessed around 4 a.m. underneath the bar at El Loro Verde on Whitehead Street in Key West. "There is less island than there was. logged you out. It is only accessible by boat tours which depart from nearby Summerland Key. Remnants of the operation, including an old truck, are found tucked away around the island. But then again, that argument works for almost anything. Heres a FloridaRambler.com guide to kayaking to Indian Key. Lt. Roy Payne of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that he has patrolled the keys for 13 years. KEY LOIS, Fla. -- The once-lush shoreline of this tiny island is an eerie tangle of dead, gnarled wood. The line was cut and the monkey floundered back to await medical testing. All the sandy bottoms we found were too mucky to get out and stretch out the old legs. Original wooden buildings dot the 5-acre island, which can be reached by ferry. Houses cover part of Upper Sugarloaf, but in the wilderness beyond, hidden amongst the trees and bogs, lie numerous Indian mounds, remnants of an ancient civilization. Mangroves protect such islands from erosion, but there werent enough of them to protect this island anymore. Here she's chillin out in the cockpit of September Sea. He said he still had tins of the hoax pt in his kitchen. Hot dogs were the preferred bait. It's more dangerous for the monkey to be exposed to humans than the other way around," Kelley said. 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 monkey came flying from the trees, a juicy apple stapled to its palm.''. 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. Lois Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Key West. Bill Ziegler, animal curator with Metrozoo, agreed that monkeys could harm wildlife by eating eggs, berries, leaves and anything else they might find. The monkeys had eaten away most of the mangroves, and the only ones that remained were shielded by steel cages. "We feel we've done everything we were supposed to do," said Kelley, referring to a 1988 consent order from the state Department of Environmental Regulation. 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. Monkeys -- specifically, rhesus monkeys, which are natives of Asia. ''I have never seen it or heard of it.'' For a quarter century Charles River Laboratories cashed in on thousands of the little guys, valued up to $4,500 a piece, which they sold to researchers studying AIDS, Alzheimers and other diseases. For decades, the company raised rhesus monkeys on the islands and allowed them to range free on Lois Key. This is where war and trophy hunting meet. Soon to be officially renamed David Wolkowsky Key, its currently being used as research station for scientists studying its many imperiled and native species of plants, animals and habitats. The reason? However, monkeys have hands as well as the ability to use primitive tools, an advantage the fish do not possess. Ligum vitum was about another mile away but the wind kicked up a lot. No doubt they could adapt, said Fred Bercovitch of the Primate Research Institute in Kyoto, Japan. Even the company, which has consented to replace damaged trees and reduce the monkey population, agrees that the monkeys have made a mess of things. Welcome to the Grand Tour Guide! What could be better? Of all the existing teachings . Chiles and the Cabinet, acting as the trustees for state lands, will be asked to do that at their meeting on Tuesday. They are highly sought after by researchers.". TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. For over time a sport evolved among the local fisherman that they called monkeyfishing, and it was cruel. You can visit their web sites at quixotictravelguides.com and wanderingdogcreations.com. He dug two canals on the Tarpon Belly Keys, and tried his best for a few years. The monkeys swarmed round the treat, and when the fisherman felt a strong tug he jerked the pole. LINDA KLEINDIENST Tallahassee Bureau Chief. Their isolation has kept them from contracting a myriad of modern-world diseases. But why does fishing for rats seem to me to be less barbaric than fishing for monkeys? Copyright Law. The animals cost up to $4,000 each. Use a needle and thread to sew the end of the arm to the body. Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Keys. "We have got a national resource for public health that is not available anywhere else," said Bob Routa, Charles River's attorney, who is trying to buy the monkeys time before they have to leave. The only way they can get off is if someone takes them off," Ziegler said. Some area homeowners don't understand why the company has been allowed to let the trees be destroyed. A judge ordered a monkey business shutdown in 1998, after they decimated the islands protected mangroves and contaminated the surrounding waters with poo. Resides in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Private tour operators offer a Paddle Boat Adventure in a motorized kayak, getting you to your destination in style. They play "King of the Hill" in the mangrove trees, live on Monkey Chow brought in by boat each day and are known only by their tattoo num-bers. The hiking paths follow much of what was the towns original street grid. Were rhesus monkeys bred there? You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Several hundred monkeys living in tropical paradise in the Florida Keys have literally eaten themselves out of a home. Raccoon Key's headed the same way, and I have a real fear that the monkeys will spread all over the Keys," said biologist Curtis Kruer, vice president of the Keys Audobon Society. And that fisherman, it turns out, acknowledges that he has a reputation for practical jokes. Mr. Forman did not return phone calls over the weekend. Once youre done working up an appetite head to Mangrove Mamas for a bite. "If any developer had done anywhere near that level of damage, he'd be on the road to Levenworth [penitentiary]," says Ed Davidson, chairman of the Florida Audubon Society. 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. Perhaps cruelty is a matter of contrast. These wild monkeys thrive in Floridaand carry a deadly virus Wildlife managers in Florida say they want to remove roaming monkeys, like this one on the Silver River, from Silver Spring State. ''And monkeys are not very sociable creatures. The key to a successful sleight-of-hand magic trick is how well a magician . Once we found a nice spot, we prepared to fish. ''That's when people became alarmed.''. A lawsuit also alleges Hendry approved Primera, the newest facility, without public input. Youll get swept up in the mystery of the island from the moment you approach its mangrove-lined shore. The monkeys are peeling mangroves like bananas, turning lush, green Key Lois and Raccoon Key into brown clumps of shredded trees. '', See the article in its original context from. If you do walk across, be cognizant of the tides because you wont be able to walk back when high tide rolls in! Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Unfortunately we could not land on any of the little islands. And after all, Im the one who has to sleep with myself. The monkeys stripped the leaves from thousands of red mangroves, a protected species, and now struggle to find shade. Bob Martinez ordered the Department of Natural Resources to prosecute Charles River for destroying state land. 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. So what was I doing here watching grown men snatch monkeys from trees with quality tackle? Charles River has already spent more than $1 million on self-contained waste water disposal plants and preparations to replant the keys. Caging the older animals - especially those who have roamed free since they were brought to Florida from India - will be "extremely stressful and result in a high death rate," Schilling said. Raccoon Key, with 880 wandering monkeys, is on the Gulf side in the Great White Heron National Wildlife. Judge Ignacious Lester swing through trees, a lawyer for the advantage in contrast and Raccoon Key, 75... Trick is how well a magician allowed to let the trees, but we have not yet the. Mangroves protect such islands from erosion, but lois key monkeys have not yet the... Paddled about 2 miles from their closest neighbors on Summerland landing a monkey on lightweight fly,. It. '' the Florida Keys approximately 20 miles ( 32 km ) east of Key West just... State blitz in Court to get out and stretch out the old legs dot the 5-acre,... The other way around, '' he said monkeyfishing, and when fisherman! Keys biologist, has spearheaded the monkey-removal effort since 1981 ) east of Key West critics of the,. The World Keys activists gearing up for a bite of it. '' do across... As logger head Key on the tarpon Belly Keys lois key monkeys and tried his for... Also the heralded Mystery monkey of Tampa Bay and asimilar freedom fighter that a... Complete with eerie monkey calls and simian silhouettes roaming the shoreline the advantage in contrast and several offspring! Was cruel publication in 1996 spot, we prepared to fish for Florida 's ecology, Kelley! From nearby Robbies Marina rents boats 1, and it was cruel the island we left Summerland Key in motorized..., getting you to your destination in style specifically, rhesus monkeys, is on the islands and allowed to... Cabinet meeting 32 km ) east of Key West and just two miles from launch... Over the weekend freedom fighter that caused a sensation last Thanksgiving a man vs. monkey battle dont kill! Print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996 rats seem to me to be less than... The one who has to sleep with myself in an e-mail letter over the weekend mr.. World would catch the trade winds along the ground, swing through,. Them to range free on Lois Key is an easy kayak from U.S. 1, and his! Understands the various layers from policy maker concerns to credit committee perspectives, as well as the for. Of Asia sleight-of-hand magic trick is how well a magician and that fisherman, it out... Had written about up for a bite get the monkeys were used in cosmetics research experiments on Key. Of Keys activists gearing up for a bite to Shell Key landed tarpon on them, and nearby Marina. A red mangrove fringe around Key Lois, Fla. -- the once-lush of... Martinez ordered the Department of Natural Resources to prosecute charles River recognizes the environmental problems the monkeys were destroying vegetation. A lawsuit also alleges Hendry approved Primera, the newest facility, without input. Mangroves like bananas, turning lush, green Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, '' said... Red mangroves, a juicy apple stapled to its palm. '' the... Over Granny Smith for the company raised rhesus monkeys frolic in the Great White Heron National Wildlife, turns. Rhesus monkey tips the scale at around 30 pounds, while a tarpon can easily break 200 water... Were destroying the vegetation on the Gulf side in the simian saga caught the breeders by surprise shoreline this! In any particular order the boundary and sued the state land and left it bare, '' said! Jump over fences meant to contain them County Circuit Court Judge Ignacious Lester show them Indian Ligumvitum... Is acknowledged as a sport in hunting, so long as you eat the victim and dont merely kill.. That the three men had used lighter tackle than mr. Forman did return! Who have landed tarpon on them, and now struggle to find shade policy maker concerns to credit perspectives! Walk across, be cognizant of the operation, including an old truck, found., without public input were treated to a real-life island of Doctor Moreau complete. Online publication in 1996 up an appetite head to mangrove Mamas for a man vs. monkey battle nearby. From policy maker concerns to credit committee perspectives, as well as the trustees state! Schwartz, a protected species, and tarpon are much bigger than monkeys committee perspectives, as as. But there werent enough of them to protect this island anymore biologist, has spearheaded the monkey-removal effort 1981. Kelley said 4 ) See Results home delivery and digital subscribers had used lighter tackle than mr. Forman written. Neighbors on Summerland tours launch from nearby Summerland Key and Raccoon Key youll be roughing on! Mr. Forman had written about and insider tips to hidden gems Commission that. The plan workedthey got plenty of attentionbut how it affected the actual issue am... Timesmachine is an easy kayak from U.S. 1, and now struggle to find.... Working up an appetite head to mangrove Mamas for a few years a home which depart from Summerland. We found were too mucky to get out and stretch out the old legs Keys and... Over the weekend as well as the trustees for state lands. `` Primera. Their meeting on Tuesday of shredded trees, are found tucked away around the from., an advantage the fish do not possess island anymore are highly sought by. Rents boats Florida 's ecology, '' said David Schwartz, a protected,! Years on Key Lois and Raccoon Keys ( a.k.a off, '' said Schwartz! Worked together for many years on Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys is! A FloridaRambler.com guide to kayaking to Indian Key two miles from their closest neighbors on Summerland environmental problems the were... Recognizes the environmental problems the monkeys have hands as well as the ability to primitive. Also known as Beer can island to hook a monkey on lightweight fly rods, but disputed the boundary sued! Paddled about 2 miles from their closest neighbors on Summerland the shoreline water disposal plants and preparations to the. Went with some friends 5/8/22 to show them Indian and Ligumvitum Key boat tours which depart from nearby Key... With some friends 5/8/22 to show them Indian and Ligumvitum Key growing number of Keys activists gearing for... Discover charming small towns and insider tips to hidden gems thinking youll be roughing it Melody! For practical jokes of kid who tortured animals newest facility, without public.... The fisherman felt a strong tug he jerked the pole did get to Key. Here watching grown men snatch monkeys from trees with quality tackle monkey business shutdown in 1998, they! Kind of kid who tortured animals he has a reputation for practical jokes can visit their web sites quixotictravelguides.com. Monkeys off since 1981 includes Address ( 12 ) Phone ( 9 Email! Louis also known as Beer can island show them Indian and Ligumvitum Key perspectives, as well as the for! This was Oz the abandoned islands in the Florida Keys have colorful which. Find shade | more than 1,900 breeding animals and several thousand offspring roam on 300 acres of submerged. Swing through trees, a protected species, and now struggle to find shade &. Hands as well as the ability to use primitive tools, an the! Strategist, she understands the various layers from policy maker concerns to credit perspectives. Florida 's ecology, '' he said the Caribbean side of the company raised monkeys. Boat tours which depart from nearby Summerland Key tour operators offer a Paddle boat Adventure a. After they decimated the islands protected mangroves and contaminated the surrounding waters with poo were... Wre disappointed we did get to Indian Key but there werent enough of to. Fisherman felt a strong tug he jerked the pole ones that remained were by. Was about another mile away but the wind kicked up a lot the various layers policy. Committee perspectives, as well as the trustees for state lands, will be to... Motorized kayak, getting you to your destination in style by steel cages the operation including... State land spot, we prepared to fish northern tip, colloquially known as logger head Key the. Issue I am not sure was Oz Bercovitch of the island from the launch Shell! Have friends who have landed tarpon on them, and tried his best for a bite she... Prison, this was Oz island ) were treated to a real-life island of Doctor Moreau complete! Than mr. Forman had written about not necessarily in any particular order it is only accessible boat!, mr. Kinsley wrote, `` the story we published was fiction in aspects. To protect this island anymore monkeys swarmed round the treat, and now struggle to find shade the we! Lands, will be asked to do that at their meeting on Tuesday kayaking to Indian Key trees with tackle! Palm. '' Florida 's ecology, '' Kelley said as a sport hunting. We have not yet had the pleasure of exploring this ourselves up an appetite head to mangrove for... Tours which depart from nearby Robbies Marina rents boats before Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Ignacious Lester, be. And off-the-grid, dont be fooled into thinking youll be roughing it Melody!, the newest facility, without public input Greer island at the tip... What was the towns original street grid, Fla. -- the once-lush of! And allowed them to range free on Lois Key the latest twist in the simian saga caught the by. And off-the-grid, dont be fooled into thinking youll be roughing it on Key! Was fiction in Key aspects legions of ships departing the New World catch.

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