OCALA, Fla. -- A Southwest Florida family from Estero says a peaceful visit to Silver Springs National Park turned scary when they were confronted by a group of wild rhesus monkeys.
Susie Ramsey and her family noticed the monkeys just sitting around when her son, Thatcher, began video taping them. "I saw quite a few monkeys and I got kind of excited, so I pulled out the camera and started videoing," says Thatcher.
A few minutes later, the monkeys became aggressive. "It went from 'Oh, cool! Look at the monkeys,' to 'oh my God, our lives are in danger.'" says Susie.
The Ramsey family says these monkeys became angry and started growling, hissing and chasing after them, even though they believe they did not provoke these animals in any way. "The monkeys just started attacking us and like grunting and hissing," says Hatcher.
"Our hearts were racing. We were having a lot of adrenaline and just going, 'How does this happen in Florida at a state park?'" Susie Ramsey said.
Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida has been home to these rhesus monkeys for more than 75 years and this species can be known for their aggression.
Attacks by these animals can also be very serious. Research shows they have very sharp teeth and are very strong for their age.
The Ramsey family said they would like to see a sign or warning in the future notifying people that these wild animals are in the area.
"I don't want to be chased again. It wasn't the best experience of my life," says Hatcher.
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