SILVER SPRINGS, FL (352today.com) – Tucked within the headwaters of the Silver River, a small island populated by rhesus macaques has become one of Florida’s most bizarre and long-standing attractions. Known locally as “Monkey Island,” the site is both an oddity and a cautionary tale – one born from a tourism stunt that turned wild.
Although many believe the monkeys were originally introduced as part of Silver Springs’ Jungle Cruise attraction, this claim is widely disputed. The monkeys were introduced in the 1930s by Colonel Tooey, a tour boat operator at Silver Springs who believed free-roaming primates would enhance the attraction. According to legend, Tooey thought he had acquired monkeys that couldn’t swim and planned to release them on a manmade island in the river. However, his plan quickly unraveled: the monkeys could swim – and did.
The monkeys dispersed into the dense woods surrounding the river. Over time, the population expanded far beyond the original island. The rhesus macaques are not native to Florida and are known carriers of the herpes B virus, making them both a fascination and a public health concern.
Though not formally advertised today, the monkeys have become a folklore fixture, drawing kayakers, photographers and tourists hoping for a glimpse. Many are unaware that these animals are wild and feeding them is both dangerous and illegal. Still, the monkeys’ presence continues to be a controversial feature of Silver Springs State Park.
Park rangers and wildlife officials urge caution. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has conducted multiple studies on the monkey population and its risk to humans. In 2018, researchers found that up to 30% of the monkeys tested carried the potentially deadly herpes B virus, though no human cases from wild exposure have been reported in Florida.
While no active removal program is currently in place, the state remains concerned about public safety and ecological disruption.
Monkey Island itself – a small, vegetated outcrop in the river – still serves as a gathering point for a portion of the monkey population. While many of the macaques roam the forest surrounding the Silver River, the island has become a symbolic remnant of the monkeys’ accidental introduction.
Over the decades, Monkey Island has earned a strange kind of affection. It’s been the subject of postcards, local lore and even research documentaries. For residents of Marion County and curious visitors alike, it’s a piece of old Florida – wild, weird and unexpected.
Though its origins were accidental, and its future uncertain, Monkey Island remains a living monument to the eccentric history of Silver Springs and the unintended consequences of tourist ambition.