KINGSTON, Jamaica — Two of three monkeys which were spotted in trees on a property in Stony Hill on Monday were caught, according to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

A multidisciplinary team including NEPA officers, members of the Veterinary Services Division, Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) members, and representatives from Hope Zoo and the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) had been deployed to investigate videos circulating which showed at least three monkeys moving about in what appeared to be a naseberry fruit tree.

Initial reports suggested that the monkeys escaped from a nearby property.

READ: Monkey on the loose in Stony Hill

Identifying the species of monkey as the white-faced capuchin, NEPA said the captured monkeys are now in the care of the Veterinary Services Division and the Hope Zoo. It said the team is hoping that, in short order, they will nab the lone monkey that is still at large.

All three monkeys will be quarantined upon capture whilst a decision is being made about the next course of action, the agency said.

One of the captured monkeys. (Photo: NEPA)

The white-faced capuchin monkey is non-native to Jamaica and as such they need to be contained as they are a potential threat to the island’s ecosystems and its agricultural industry as well as to public health. As such, NEPA is advising the public to not attempt to capture the animal if they come in contact with it.

The incident comes less than three months after authorities interdicted a vessel off St Elizabeth which was carrying exotic animals including four monkeys, 12 parrots, and an ocelot which escaped and has not been recaptured. The animal was later presumed dead.

READ: Smuggled animal is an ocelot not tiger, says veterinary expert