Police in Puerto Rico capture a rhesus macaque monkey chased by a crowd at a public housing complex

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Police in Puerto Rico captured a rhesus macaque monkey on Friday that was being chased by a crowd of individuals at a public housing complicated close to the U.S. territory’s north coast.

The monkey was discovered injured and exhausted within the laundry room of an condo inside the Lovely View complicated within the coastal metropolis of Arecibo, mentioned Officer Joel Vidot Soto, who captured the animal.

“I rescue canines and cats generally,” he instructed The Related Press, including that it was his first time capturing a monkey.

Vidot, who works on the animal welfare and safety police unit in Arecibo, mentioned that he carries gear in his patrol automobile to seize any sort of animal, however that none of it was obligatory on Friday.

“The monkey was being chased by some 25 individuals with cameras and video cameras,” he mentioned, including that it was agitated however drained by the point he arrived.

Police shared photos that present Vidot cradling the monkey, which had a catchpole round its neck for security and was clutching the officer’s proper hand as they emerged from the condo.

Vidot mentioned the monkey had an open wound on its again proper paw that was nonetheless bleeding.

“That’s what has me a bit apprehensive,” he mentioned, including that he doesn’t differentiate between a monkey and different animals that he has beforehand rescued. “It’s nonetheless a life that have to be protected, that have to be cared for.”

Vidot mentioned that he took the injured monkey to the detention middle of unique animals run by Puerto Rico’s Division of Pure Assets.

Rhesus macaques are native to south, central and southeast Asia, however they’ve been discovered throughout Puerto Rico, the place they’re believed to be descendants from escapees from analysis tasks. It is uncommon to search out them in city areas.

One monkey particularly caught the eye of many after it was noticed in a eucalyptus tree alongside a busy road within the capital of San Juan in November 2021. The monkey vanished earlier than officers had been capable of catch it.

A whole bunch of rhesus monkeys additionally roam free on Cayo Santiago, a tiny island off Puerto Rico’s southeast coast that’s house to a analysis area station.

Macaques are omnivores, dwell between 20 to 40 years in captivity and share greater than 90% of their DNA sequence with people.