A vervet monkey is on the loose in Dania Beach, and it has neighbors, volunteers, and sanctuary staff fanning out around the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, scanning mangrove corridors and nearby lots for any sign of the animal.
The monkey is believed to be missing from the Dania Beach Vervet Project sanctuary, and staff have asked people in surrounding neighborhoods to keep an eye out and report any sightings.
As reported by CBS News Miami, the search kicked off after staff noticed the animal was no longer in the sanctuary’s care. The Dania Beach Vervet Project, the nonprofit that runs the sanctuary and monitors the local troop, is asking anyone who spots the monkey to reach out through the group’s online contact form on its Dania Beach Vervet Project contact page.
Colony history and science
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University trace the Dania Beach vervets back to monkeys that escaped the former Dania Chimpanzee Farm in 1948. The team built a photographic census of the local troop and reported that, at the time of that study, the population was in the mid 30s.
The monkeys are not native to Florida, and conservation reporting has flagged just how precarious life can be for this urban troop. Vehicle strikes, electrocution on power lines, and illegal trapping all pose serious threats, according to coverage documented by Science News.
How to report a sighting and stay safe
The sanctuary is urging residents not to approach the monkey. Instead, people are asked to keep a safe distance and report any sightings through the Dania Beach Vervet Project’s online contact form, listed on the group’s contact page.
For additional help with wildlife concerns, residents can contact Broward County Animal Care at 954-359-1313 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s regional line at 954-746-1789. Broward County Animal Care and the Florida Fish and Wildlife provide local contacts and guidance on handling wild or injured animals.
Past disappearances underscore the risk
Previous disappearances from the Dania Beach troop have not always ended quietly. Local coverage has described earlier cases where individual monkeys went missing, later turning up in private collections or being rescued, sometimes after rewards and neighborhood searches.
WSVN has reported researchers and sanctuary staff warning that illegal trapping in the area is a real concern for the free-ranging colony.
The current search remained active Sunday, with sanctuary staff and animal care officials saying they plan to share updates as new information comes in. CBS News Miami and the Dania Beach Vervet Project were among the first to report the ongoing search.
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