Florida Officials Catch Elusive Monkey After Nearly Four Years

Tampa Bay’s “Mystery Monkey” made an appearance on Wednesday afternoon, before being captured. (Tampa Bay Times/James Borchuck)

Tampa Bay’s “Mystery Monkey” has been captured after spending nearly four years on the run.

The Wild Rhesus Macaque had become a celebrity, seen by many locals as a symbol of freedom – a fact that had earned him a mention on the Colbert Report and a Facebook page with more than 87,000 “likes.”

Florida officials captured him yesterday in what became the last in many multi-hour monkey hunts.

• Tampa Bay Times: (VIDEO) Animal control workers capture Tampa Bay’s Mystery Monkey

You can also read and listen to Here & Now’s previous story on Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay:

• Loose Monkey Becomes Symbol Of Freedom In Tampa

Guest:

• Vernon Yates, of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in St. Petersburg, Florida.