So what was I doing here watching grown men snatch monkeys from trees with quality tackle? Scientists glimpse monkey thought to have gone extinct, One month free trial to the Monitor Daily. subscription. Not for long. But residents are raising security concerns and wonder what might happen, say, when the next hurricane hits. We Anyone can read what you share. But rather than ending the debate, the governor's order has just left the monkey breeding operation in limbo. Lois Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Key West. More than 1,900 breeding animals and several thousand offspring roam on 300 acres of partly submerged wetlands on Key Lois and Raccoon Key. The Christian Science Monitor has expired. What could be better? It sells the monkeys raised on the keys to researchers studying AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and other afflictions. Explore them here. Bob Martinez scuttled the agreement and decided to go after Charles River instead. Even the company, which has consented to replace damaged trees and reduce the monkey population, agrees that the monkeys have made a mess of things. The hiking paths follow much of what was the towns original street grid. Admitting that does not make me any less complicit. [12] Keep your stitches tight and close together so the tail and arms stay in place. He says Charles River has adopted a strategy of delay to keep its lucrative monkey-breeding operation going as long as possible. But in the past, they have acknowledged the environmental damage done by the monkeys, and they say they've taken steps to repair it. ''Jay writes about the sordid, the unpalatable, the amoral,'' Mr. Shafer said last week. you are agreeing to our, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor. On a hike, look for a raised and rocky-dirt beds or ridges. Use our guides to help you choose your next vacation destination. This was put to a stop in 1998 when the operation was ordered to be shut down due to the mangroves being destroyed by the monkeys and the water polluted by their excrement. Mr. Forman did not return phone calls over the weekend. The monkeys are peeling mangroves like bananas, turning lush, green Key Lois and Raccoon Key into brown clumps of shredded trees. No new animals have been introduced. It looks like they are doing improvements to the area. Four controversial facilities house more than 10,000 monkeys, mainly rhesus macaques. If you do walk across, be cognizant of the tides because you wont be able to walk back when high tide rolls in! Do you enjoy taking the path less travelled? The state owns everything below the high-water line, and environmental officials ordered Bausch & Lomb to clean up those grounds years ago. Other Web sites also raised questions, but none proved that the events described in the story were not true. Handlers regularly dispense monkey chow and capture more than a thousand each year, generating more than $1.5 million in annual sales. Clark and Lois assume that they are looking for something hidden inside the figurines, so they investigate. Thank you. The ordinance will be considered next month. Both keys are difficult to access, thanks to very shallow water and no clear entry points. However by 1840, the town was attacked and burnt to the ground, with all who survived abandoning the island. As the monkeys reproduced their habitat shrank, and their situation became even more awful. Not like Rwanda cruel but cruel still. Peter struggles to keep up with her hard-partying new lifestyle. What makes the Keys monkeys so unusual - and valuable? I have a friend in Baltimore who told me about a similar sport involving rats. If fish could scream, would we still fish? would take a toll on them but I see no reason why macaques could not persist in the Everglades, said Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, a California-based anthropologist. The island is privately owned and one of very few secluded islands in the Keys that offers accommodation. Lois Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles (32km) east of Key West.[1]. The island itself was a blasted moonscape fringed by dying trees. Great read n I have no destination in life til I read this thank you!!!! Yes. Remnants of the operation, including an old truck, are found tucked away around the island. A Humboldt's squirrel monkey is fooled by the "French Drop" magic trick. The third result is Lois M MacKey age 70s in Tewksbury, MA. The monkeys have been roaming two uninhabited islands since 1973. Humans may have called them home since at least the height of Greek civilization, some 3,600 years ago. The boat ramp and most of the parking is closed. Such fears are unfounded because the island monkeys are bred to be as pure and healthy as possible, said Barbara Kelley, a spokeswoman for Bausch & Lomb, which owns Charles River. Amongst the thickets of trees and bog streams, youll find ancient ruins up to 4 feet-tall thought to have been built by the Caloosa aboriginal tribes that once inhabited the area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture flagged Primate Products with eight violations of the Animal Welfare Act involvinginhumane conditions. macaque, (genus Macaca), any of more than 20 species of gregarious Old World monkeys, all of which are Asian except for the Barbary macaque of North Africa. Several of the 1733 wreck charts show Cayo Cagumas. View the profiles of people named Lois Key. "We need at least two to three years unless you go out with a gun.". It appears some launched an inflatable that sank and they got sued. Stripped mangroves lie tangled in the water, looking like twisted driftwood fingers. This is not the case, however, in war, which is government-sanctioned murder where you do not eat the victim, according to the Geneva Convention. For decades, the company raised rhesus monkeys on the islands and allowed them to range free on Lois Key. This is where war and trophy hunting meet. These were not the lovable anthropomorphic orangs of Dunston Checks In fame. Monkeys from the Keys sell for $1,500 up to $4,500 each, says Mr. Kruer. A deeper view that unites instead of divides, connecting why the story matters to you. Perhaps cruelty is a matter of contrast. Monkeys arrived in 1973 and the population was mostly free-ranging, not caged, peaking at 6,000 in 1983, according to reports. Related terms: archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, rock Land County Monroe County, Florida GPS Coordinates Latitude, Longitude: 24.6129227, -81.472583 Behind the news are values that drive people and nations. Warning signs are posted around the monkey island: "U.S. Government project. Copyright 2023 Florida Rambler Media. In 1919, a wealthy scientist bought the island and built the large caretakers home that now serves as the islands visitor information center. By continuing to browse the site View the profiles of people named Lois Mackey. Indeed, both islands are inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2,800 square miles of bays, reefs and islands that are supposed to be protected. Little changed until the two sides quietly agreed to a settlement in May that would allow the company to phase out the monkeys over 20 to 30 years. Bob Martinez ordered the Department of Natural Resources to prosecute Charles River for destroying state land. Private tour operators offer a Paddle Boat Adventure in a motorized kayak, getting you to your destination in style. When I feel bad about this all I need to do is look to the Chinese. Caging the older animals - especially those who have roamed free since they were brought to Florida from India - will be "extremely stressful and result in a high death rate," Schilling said. In 2012 Puerto Rico reportedly had enough of the monkey trade and blocked Bioculture, a monkey farm that recentlytook its business to Hendry. Copyright Law. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Lawton Chiles and a Cabinet order put the kibosh on Monkey Island in 1997. ''That's when people became alarmed.''. '', On the vetting of stories, he added: ''It is ridiculous to say, as some have, that everything we did after the controversy arose should have been done beforehand. He said he had heard of monkey fishing only from one other person, a Key West fisherman. We love Indian Key, which we heard about on your site. But on the other side of a fence that divides the key, the mangrove trees are sick or dead. Key Lois, with 75 free-roaming monkeys, is on the Caribbean side of the Keys. He said that the fishing trip took place in 1994, not 1996, as Mr. Forman wrote. Dennis R. Shaughnessy, the senior vice president for business development and corporate counsel for Charles River Laboratories, based in Wilmington, Mass., said that the company had raised rhesus monkeys on the island until it removed them about three years ago. The plan workedthey got plenty of attentionbut how it affected the actual issue I am not sure. Crab Eating Macaques. However, monkeys have hands as well as the ability to use primitive tools, an advantage the fish do not possess. KEY LOIS, Fla. -- The once-lush shoreline of this tiny island is an eerie tangle of dead, gnarled wood. LOIS KEY, Florida (CNN) -- One end of Florida's Lois Key looks like a mangrove-laden island should -- lush and green, fringed with healthy trees. Charles River Laboratories fenced in and replanted some trees, but disputed the boundary and sued the state in 1986. There hasn't been an escape in three years, Thomas Rowell, head of Primate Products, told Amy Bennett Williams of The News-Press. In 1986, Charles River, which claims to own Key Lois and Raccoon Key, sued to establish clear title to the two islands. Hundreds of years ago, Hoagen Key was inhabited by the Calusa tribe but today the island is deserted. Then, there are the lesser-known ruins of the Keys. Local environmentalists have been fighting for years to have the monkeys shipped to a less environmentally sensitive site. We are ashamed and embarrassed, and we apologize. And red mangrove trees, which stabilize shorelines and provide homes for dozens of species, are protected by law. ''It was a crazy one-time drunken thing,'' he said. Discover charming small towns and insider tips to hidden gems. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations. For the State of Florida and residents of nearby keys, however, the breeding has been far too successful. A local bar, upset about a vermin problem the city was doing nothing to correct, found a unique way to bring attention to the issue. Despite conservationists' fears, the monkeys haven't been a threat to all endangered species in the Keys. "The shoreline eroded, and the monkey droppings wash out into the public waters. Catered meals. Thomas Hambright, a Florida historian based at the Monroe County Library on Key West, said that if the practice existed as a sport that had evolved among local fishermen, as Mr. Forman described it, he would have heard of it. Perhaps I should have eaten the monkey. Monkeys -- specifically, rhesus monkeys, which are natives of Asia. It can be fascinating to explore islands where ancient civilizations and tribes once thrived and imagine what their lives there would have looked like. Since the 1980s, they have devoured 40 acres of mangroves and are fouling tidal waters with their droppings. He also helped cultivate Key Wests art and literary scene, and thus entertained the likes of Truman Capote, Leonard Bernstein, Tennessee Williams and countless others on Ballast Key. Apparently he's still out there. 2 He said the monkeys were their own best security. subscription yet. Other articles written for FloridaRambler.com by Karuna Eberl and Steve Alberts. Once upon a time in the Florida Keys there was a horrible monkey-infested island called Lois Key. I have friends who have landed tarpon on them, and tarpon are much bigger than monkeys. According to Roberts, the endangered silver rice rat is thriving on Raccoon Island. About 500 to 600 a year leave the island for labs owned by drug companies, federal agencies, France and Japan. Soon after, legions of ships departing the New World would catch the trade winds along the Florida Straits. ''Somebody is pulling somebody's leg,'' he said. Lois Key is an island in the lower Florida Keys approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Key West. Consultant. The violations included a security breach in 2014, when a bear scaled a fence and busted into an enclosure, mauling two monkeys. Resides in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Select this result to view Lois R MacKey's phone number, address, and more. Mr. Kinsley ''has fallen for an obvious hoax,'' it said. "I'm interested in seeing these islands restored.". Oliver is a Capuchin monkey that serves as the main antagonist of the episode "Monkey". The two islands total about 309 acres. Cagumas is the Spanish name for the Caribbean Sea Turtle. Pakistan begins troop withdrawal from Indian border, White-collar workers in Jakarta join anti-Habibie chorus, Veteran politicians hand over EU reform blueprint, Klan rally in New York fizzles under counterprotests, Critics assail plan to give women addicts money to use birth control, Chemical that could power microbes is found at Jupiter moon, Agents boycott United for slashing commissions, Advocates assail legislation encouraging mergers. And, like the movie monkeys, they have citizens scared.. Slate is published by The Slate Curtis Kruer, a Keys biologist, has spearheaded the monkey-removal effort since 1981. In 1840, Seminoles launched and early-morning attack, killing many of the residents and burning down the town. Boaters who happened upon Lois and Raccoon Keys (a.k.a. Slate editors last week stood by the article, but over the weekend, the editor, Michael Kinsley, said that he would run a statement on Slate saying key aspects of the article had been fabricated. Schilling said 95 percent of the monkeys will be removed from Key Lois by June, with the remainder expected to be gone by December. Charles River Laboratories is a subsidiary of the optical giant Bausch and Lomb. I believe that what he wrote is true.''. The monkeys' breeders and the state have been engaged in battle for about a decade. Hidden islands in the Florida Keys: Satellite view of Tarpon Belly Keys shrimp canals. They play "King of the Hill" in the mangrove trees, live on Monkey Chow brought in by boat each day and are known only by their tattoo num-bers. But you can get a great view of it from the water, on the way to the sandbar hangout off Woman Key. Surely some signs remain, but we have not yet had the pleasure of exploring this ourselves. If the state orders the monkeys out, Schilling said the company will have to seek help from the courts. On a few of the hidden islands in the Florida Keys, some of these tales are actually true. And they have apocalyptic visions of monkeys strewn across the lower Keys by a hurricane or by some monkey manuevering. MIAMI. We want to bridge divides to reach everyone. The breeding colonies became more important to American researchers after India, Pakistan and Bangladesh banned monkey exports in the late 1970's, said Dr. Joseph Held, vice president for primate research at Charles River Laboratories, the division of Bausch & Lomb that runs the islands. Key Lois Also Known As: Monkey Island, Loggerhead Key, Cagavama Kay, and Cayo Cagumas. You can renew your subscription or There is no paper trail. It is one of the best secret islands in the Keys for adventure-seekers. Ive been in Beijing markets where puppies were crammed into cages to be sold as food, snakes are regularly bled for an aphrodisiac, and a fancy dish called Three Squeaks features a live rat embryo. Well agree there is something special about discovering a hidden gem that not many others get to experience. That would probably have tied up the loose ends. It is not open to the public. Roberts says Charles River did all it could to prevent mangrove destruction. The animals were all tagged and accounted for on a daily basis and any visible injuries -- like one that would be sustained by a fishing hook -- would have been noticed by the site's managers. A pharmaceutical company had released a bunch of rhesus monkeys there and left them to breed, thereby supplying research labs around the country with a fresh supply of experimental test subjects. The fisherman said that the hoax was so convincing that Florida natural resource authorities tried to investigate the manatee pt, and it was mentioned on ''Late Night with David Letterman.''. ''They weren't too noticeable until the vegetation began disappearing,'' Mr. McElroy said. There is no Saltwater Monkeyfishing magazine to lay out proper monkeyfishing etiquette. The word "loris" came from the Dutch word "loeris" meaning clown, alluding to the creature's distinctive facial markings. Upper Sugarloaf Key may have a residential area, school and shops but much of the island is covered in untouched wilderness. Other than that, locals visit the island for birdwatching, swimming and boating. Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. Though the island is still privately owned, locals often come here to picnic, snorkel, and even camp overnight. The fishermen, the story continued, would bait their hooks with apples and practice a form of catch-and-release fishing for the rhesus monkeys that had been bred on the island for medical research. This was an awful thing to watch. There is also a beautiful coral reef just off the beach, which makes this secret island in the Keys a favorite snorkeling spot. The monkeys are bred by Charles River Laboratories Inc., which sells them for $2,500 apiece. If you have questions about your account, please Mangroves protect such islands from erosion, but there werent enough of them to protect this island anymore. ''The line was cut, and the monkey floundered back to await medical testing,'' he wrote. Related To Tyler Mackey, Walter Mackey, Kathryn Mackey, Rusty Mackey, Tracy Mackey. The reason? At first, state agencies just wanted the monkeys locked up. 2014: Mystery Monkey II? Keys activists say the monkeys are destroying state land, which people can be fined for doing. Mystery Monkey II? A much larger kitchen midden, or ancient trash pile filled with shells and other discarded artifacts, once existed on the east coast of the island, but in typical development style it was bulldozed over to create Indian Mound Estates. 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