At a Glance
- Vervet monkeys have been loose in St. Louis since January 8
- Residents are flooding social media with AI-generated monkey videos
- The fake clips make it harder for officials to track the real animals
- Why it matters: City health teams can’t tell tips from tricks, delaying capture
St. Louis health officials are scrambling to locate a troop of vervet monkeys that appeared near a city park last week. Their job is getting tougher because social media users keep posting AI-created footage claiming to show the animals.
Real Monkeys, Fake Footage
The first sighting came on Thursday, January 8. A St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer and several residents called the Department of Health to report monkeys in a park area. Officers searched the same day but found nothing.
On Friday, January 9, patrols returned after more calls. Again, no monkeys. The animals have not been seen since, yet online tips keep pouring in. Many are pure fiction.
Willie Springer, a Department of Health spokesperson, told the Associated Press that residents are sharing AI-generated images and videos. Some posts claim the monkeys have been caught. None of it is true.
Spotting the Fakes
The bogus content ranges from clearly absurd to almost believable:
- Instagram reels set to Monkees songs
- Videos bearing the Sora watermark from OpenAI’s video tool
- Clips showing monkeys stealing cars
- Photos of a random goat also said to be roaming the city
Springer said most people appear to be joking. “People are just having fun. Like I don’t think anyone means harm,” he told the AP. The problem is that each fake post forces officials to check whether a tip is real.
Search Continues
Animal-control officers have consulted experts at the St. Louis Zoo for help identifying vervet behavior and likely hiding spots. Even if the monkeys are found, their owners probably will not claim them. Keeping monkeys inside St. Louis city limits is illegal.
Residents who actually see the animals are asked to call Animal Care and Control at 314-657-1500. Officials stress they need real sightings, not social-media tags.
Key Takeaways
- The monkeys remain at large after two days of searches
- AI hoaxes are slowing the official response
- City ordinance bans private monkey ownership, complicating return efforts
- Real tips should go directly to animal control, not online posts
