Fla. monkey dodges captors, defies darts

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A monkey that has eluded capture in the Tampa Bay area for more than a year has again escaped from Florida wildlife officials. Authorities were called to a neighborhood in St. Petersburg on Wednesday when the rhesus macaque monkey was spotted. It was twice hit with tranquilizer darts but still got away by ducking behind a drugstore and a church. Wildlife rehabilitator Vernon Yates said the tranquilizers don't appear to affect the animal, though officials have increased the dosage each time they've used the drug on the monkey. Yates said the monkey is smart, even stopping to check traffic before crossing a busy street. Officials didn't say how the monkey got loose. They said it isn't considered a threat to humans.