Three more Patas monkeys caught

LAKELAND -- Three more fugitive Patas monkeys have been caught in Polk County.

Fifteen escaped April 19 from Safari Wild, a private wildlife preserve owned by Les Salisbury, the CEO of Lowry Park Zoo.

Salisbury rescued the group from Puerto Rico, where they've taken over as a nonnative species. Government officials mandated the animals be removed or killed.

He made a home for them on an island with a wide moat. But a couple days later, the whole bunch escaped, including 11 adults and four offspring. In addition to being strong swimmers, the African monkeys can run up to 35 miles an hour.

Trappers set up bait stations to lure the animals to locations where they could later trap them.

A few weeks later, two were recovered near where they escaped. Last week's capture means a third of the monkeys have been caught.

"They hadn't gone far," said Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Now, ten more to go.

Stephanie Garry, Times staff writer