A troop of monkeys have spent days running wild in a US city and artificial intelligence is complicating efforts to catch them.
The vervet monkeys were still at large in St Louis in Missouri on Monday, after first being spotted on Thursday.
It remains unclear who owns the monkeys, how they escaped or even exactly how many there are.
Residents have reported capturing the primates, with some posting fake AI-generated images to bolster their claims, local officials said. But the monkeys had in reality remained on the loose.
Department of Health spokesperson Willie Springer said the monkeys’ escape had sparked “rumour after rumour”.
“It’s been a lot in regard to AI and what’s genuine and what’s not,” Mr Springer said. “People are just having fun. Like I don’t think anyone means harm.”
Mr Springer said the largest sighting of monkeys reported was four.
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Animal control is working with primate experts from St Louis Zoo to recapture the monkeys.
Vervet monkeys are native to sub-Saharan Africa, where they are widespread. The variety typically weighs 7 to 17 pounds (3.18 to 7.71 kg), and they are sometimes called green monkeys because of the tint of their fur.
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It’s illegal to own exotic animals in St Louis, making it unlikely that someone would come forward to claim them, Mr Springer said.
Residents have been urged to stay away from the monkeys and call for assistance if they see them.
The species is described as intelligent and social, but may be unpredictable or aggressive under stress.
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Sky’s US partner network NBC News reported that animal control officers had been walking the streets of St Louis with catch poles ready to seizure any primates they spotted.
“This is the first time we have had a situation dealing with monkeys at large in the city of St Louis,” St Louis’s Department of Health environmental health bureau chief Justen Hauser told the network.
