A Private Island Home To A Monkey Colony Is Known As 'Florida's Mini Alcatraz'

Standing atop a 22-acre island off the coast of San Francisco, California, lies Alcatraz, a now unused prison that once held notorious individuals such as Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, and Whitey Bulger. Surrounded by water (as islands are), this prison was built to house criminals without the hopes of escape. Located about 2,800 miles to the east, on the complete opposite side of the United States, sits another, much smaller Alcatraz. This time, its prisoners are covered in fur. Fortunately, those who live on this much smaller island are not covered in fur due to an outbreak of any strange disease. No, these "prisoners" are in fact monkeys.  

The Homosassa River in Homosassa, Florida, is home to a man-made island decorated with a tiny lighthouse, a swing and rope course, a tree house, and palm trees. This "mini Alcatraz" is home to a gang of mischievous primates put here, much like the prisoners who were housed thousands of miles away, to keep them from running amok. The question is, how on earth did a group of crazy monkeys come to be in Florida, and what could have happened to make them need their own private island?

The story behind the creation of Historic Monkey Island is as interesting as the monkeys themselves. One man, G.A. "Furgy" Furgason, was a huge player in the creation of Homosassa during the 1950s and 60s. He created an animal and plant attraction, known today as the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, with over 200 acres of land to house different species. When he was building the Wildlife Park, Furgy kept hearing complaints about a pile of submerged rocks in the nearby river that were causing local boaters issues. To combat the problem, he directed one of his dragline operators to put dirt around the rocks so boaters could see them. Instead of adding a small bit of dirt, the dragline operator got a bit too enthusiastic, creating a small island instead. 

At the same time, Furgy was looking for animals to inhabit the Wildlife Park. He met naturalist Dr. John N. Hamlet, who had brought a group of spider and rhesus monkeys to the states to use for polio vaccine research. Once the monkeys were no longer being used, they needed to find a home. Furgy thought Homosassa State Wildlife Park would be the perfect place for them to run freely in an environment similar to what they were used to. What he did not plan for, however, is how mischievous these primates could be. Said to be skilled escape artists, the monkeys would leave the park, steal candy from children, attempt to get into visitors' cars, and nip people. Furgy joked that he had often thought of "sending them to Alcatraz," not realizing he had the perfect solution nearby! Once the realization set in, Furgy moved the five hooligans to their own private space known today as Historic Monkey Island. 

Today, the island is a major tourist attraction in the area, bringing thousands of people yearly to witness its inhabitants and learn about its fun and interesting history. The island is now home to five spider monkeys: Ralph, Sassy, Ebony, Eve, and Emily. Ralph, Ebony, and Sassy are three of the original monkeys who first inhabited the island. Because certain monkeys prefer land to water, the river acts as a natural barrier, making it so that the monkeys don't leave the island. Many may feel the monkeys get bored sitting on this small island all day, but those who take care of them make sure they stay entertained by changing their habitat often. Their play areas and buildings are moved around and redesigned, and the placement of their feeders is changed daily. Plus, they love watching the people go by on the boat, entertained by their daily antics. Under the care of the Homosassa Riverside Resort, these playful creatures are fed twice daily from a specific menu and are regularly examined by veterinarians.

Tourists can pay a visit to this unique Florida experience by boat tour, at the nearby Monkey Bar Restaurant, or by watching them from the riverbank. To make a full day of it, pop on over to the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, where visitors can get up close and personal with some of Florida's native species.