"Cornelius," a rhesus macaque that has been on the loose in and around Tampa Bay, Fla., was captured this week, ending the primate's three-year stint of city living.
Dubbed the "Mystery Monkey," Cornelius has gained fame over the years with his own Facebook page and more. He was even profiled by Stephen Colbert.
We told you about him some months ago. While the rhesus macaque's history remains a mystery, some have suspected that he originated from a monkey colony in Silver Springs, home to a few former monkeys used in Tarzan movies. (I guess even monkeys want to retire in Florida.) But others think he was once somebody's pet.
Cornelius (a name tied to a character from "Planet of the Apes") was starting to become a beloved resident of the area, with many residents feeding him bananas and other goodies.
Animal experts say that made him more brazen, however, perhaps explaining why he bit a 60-year-old woman in St. Petersburg earlier this month.
She's fine, but that attack led to a more intensive hunt for the monkey.
Animal control authorities tracked him down in a sting operation involving the woman's daughter and a trap set with banana lures. The authorities shot the petite primate with a tranquilizer gun just as he was going for a banana.
Cornelius didn't go down without a fight, however. He managed to still make a run for it, but the tranquilizer and the crowd of people after him were too much. Cornelius was nabbed and placed in a cage.
Vernon Yates, who was part of the team that caught Cornelius,
admired the monkey's hutzpah. "In some ways I'll give him credit," he
told CBS News. "This is one of the most intelligent monkeys that I think I have ever seen."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have handed Cornelius over to a veterinarian for observation. Once he gets the all clear, authorities plan to wait about a month to see if anyone claims him. If not, he will probably be placed in a wildlife sanctuary.
(Image: Facebook photo of the rhesus macaque)
