Wild vervet monkeys at FLL airport
Add to Lightbox DownloadEXCLUSIVE: This may look like a scene from the jungles of Africa but these stunning images were taken in a Fort Lauderdale airport carpark. These vervet monkeys, native to southern Africa, have been living happily in South Florida for over 70 years after they escaped from a research facility in the 1940s. Bizarrely, the adorable creatures are regularly seen swinging into the Park 'N Fly, which is a discount parking lot on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale airport. Each morning, the brazen mammals clamber from the cover of the surrounding mangroves to seek out food from bemused and curious tourists. These incredible snaps captured a group of 10-12 monkeys enjoying the parking lot, which is used by thousands of holidaymakers every year. The troop is made up of two senior males called Mikey and Spike, six females, a number of juvenile monkeys and infants. In one set of images, a young infant can be seen clinging to the belly of his mother and poking his head out between her legs while another snap shows the adorable youngster feeding on his mother's milk. Other pictures capture the brooding intensity of the alpha males as they keep a watchful eye over their pack, while video footage captured the tender moment a female appears to give one of the males a kiss on the lips. Amazingly, at one point, a group of shocked tourists can be seen arriving back from a trip to discover the group of monkeys climbing all over their car. The vervet monkeys are believed to have escaped from the Anthropoid Ape Research Foundation, which was set up by Leila Roosevelt in 1944. The facility, which was situated in Dania Beach, off the US1, imported primates from across the globe to be used in medical research. It also doubled up as a tourist attraction allowing visitors to meet the animals. It is believed a group of 12 vervet monkeys then managed to escape after observing how to undo the lock on their cages. The animals fled into the thick mangrove forests of Westlake Park which stretches acro
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vervet monkeys wild African monkeys research facility group of shocked tourists watchful eye incredible snaps video footage curious tourists tourist attraction brooding intensity of the alpha males senior males adorable creatures belly of his mother Park 'N Fly southern Africa set of images group South Florida Anthropoid Ape Research Foundation group of monkeys jungles of Africa thick mangrove forests of Westlake Park parking lot brazen mammals medical research stunning images Dania Beach young infant images number of juvenile monkeys troop animals adorable youngster feeding point discount parking lot head legs mangroves monkeys pictures scene females infants tender moment pack trip cover Mikey visitors food males facility primates globe copy holidaymakers lock lips request car cages Florida airport mother's milk US1 Fort Lauderdale airport carpark outskirts of Fort Lauderdale airport morning Leila Roosevelt 1940s snap Fort Lauderdale airport native Spike female kiss Fort Lauderdale Africa Florida Westlake Park 70 years milk
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- A troop of wild African vervet monkeys live happily at a Florida airport - 29 Nov 2018

