Elusive monkey romps through Tampa Bay area for nearly a year, outwitting humans on his tail

Elusive monkey romps through Tampa Bay area

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — He’s wily, he’s smart and he’s on the move.

A male rhesus macaque monkey has avoided capture in the Tampa Bay area for nearly a year. He was spotted earlier this week in a woman’s St. Petersburg pool.

Authorities don’t know where the animal came from, but some believe it could have gotten separated from a troupe of wild monkeys in Ocala, some 100 miles from where he was recently seen. Another possibility: the animal could have escaped from an unpermitted owner.

The creature has captivated people in Tampa Bay and beyond — possibly because of his ability to outwit the humans trying to catch him. The monkey has been even featured on “The Colbert Show.”