- An unknown number of monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis.
- Fake AI images are complicating genuine search efforts for the loose monkeys.
- Searchers have been working over the weekend to find the monkeys.
An unknown number of monkeys have been on the loose in St. Louis, Missouri, over the weekend and AI-generated images are making it more difficult to find them.
The city became aware of the monkey situation on Thursday, according to local reports. The primates were first spotted near O’Fallon Park. The monkeys have been identified as vervet monkeys by a primate expert at the St. Louis Zoo.
“Original reports suggested there were four animals, but we cannot confirm an actual number at this time, only that there is more than one,” Justen Hauser, bureau chief of environmental health for the Health Department, said in a statement, per The New York Times.
What we know about the monkeys on the loose
After the initial sighting, an animal control officer searched the area around the park but did not find any of the monkeys. More sightings have been reported and the search continued over the weekend. Animal control is working with primate experts from the zoo in their search.
“We are working to get an idea of where they may be hiding or seeking food,” Hauser said. “Once captured, the monkeys will be transported to a facility certified to care for exotic animals.”
It is unknown where the monkeys came from or how they got loose. It is against St. Louis city ordinance to own exotic animals like monkeys.
Vervet monkeys weigh about 6 to 11 pounds and are common in East Africa. These monkeys can be viewed as pests since they tend to steal food and other items, according to The New York Times.
Residents in the area have been told to stay away from the monkeys and call authorities if they see any monkeys.
How AI is complicating the search
Since the news of the monkeys started spreading on Thursday, people have posted fake AI-generated images of the monkeys claiming that they had captured them. Despite the claims, the monkeys are still unaccounted for.
These fake images can cause confusion over whether the monkeys have actually been recovered or not.
“It’s been a lot in regard to AI and what’s genuine and what’s not,” said city Department of Health spokesperson Willie Springer to The Associated Press. “People are just having fun. Like I don’t think anyone means harm.”
Other incidents of monkeys on the loose
This is not the first time in the last couple of years that there have been multiple monkeys on the loose in the U.S., per USA Today.
In October 2025, 21 research monkeys escaped an overturned transport truck in Mississippi. In November 2024, 43 rhesus monkeys escaped a research facility in South Carolina.