The video below shows two monkey troops fighting each other on the Silver River in Ocala National Forest north of Orlando.

“Absolutely WILD footage from @capt.schwanke via TikTok of a troop of 30 monkeys crossing the river to fight another group. 45 min. turf war! We’ve been told this occurred in the Ocala National Forest. CRAZY!”

Came across one troop of about 30 monkeys that crossed the river t ...See more

The monkeys in the video are most likely Rhesus Macaques.

Here more about them from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

“The core population of rhesus macaques is in central Florida around the Silver River. Individual rhesus macaque sightings have occurred throughout Florida, most likely a result of roaming monkeys originating from the Silver Springs population.

These sightings occur as far southwest as Polk County, as far northwest as Wakulla County and as far northeast as Flagler County.”

The monkeys are not native to Florida. The origin of their population can be traced back to the 1930s when the manager of a glass bottom boat operation released six monkeys in the area to attract tourists.

The population has grown to more than 400 monkeys today.

Here’s more from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

“In the 1930’s, the manager of a glass bottom boat operation reportedly released six rhesus macaques on an island in the Silver River to attract tourists to his boat tours.

The released monkeys swam to the surrounding forests and increased their numbers rapidly. As the popularity of these monkeys grew among tourists, the owner of Silver Springs Park released an additional six monkeys around 1948 on the north shore of the river in another attempt to boost revenue.

Since then, the population of rhesus macaques in the Silver Springs area and lands adjoining the Ocklawaha River has grown to upwards of 400 individuals at times.

Some private trapping and removal efforts have helped keep the population from drastically increasing over the years. As of 2015, the population inside Silver Springs State Park was estimated at 190 macaques, with the population along the Ocklawaha River at an unknown size.”

Guest columnist

For thousands of years, the lure of Florida’s springs has been irresistible to people. For me, jumping into the ice-cold water always makes me feel like a kid again.

Years ago, a camping trip at a spring along the Santa Fe River was the high point of my Cub Scout experience. The spring was our private thrill ride. We jumped into the headspring with a raft and jetted down the run to the river, where we swam to shore and ran back to the headspring to do it again.

It was an exhilarating experience, better than any theme park ride, with no waiting in line and no crowd — a far cry from the estimated 30,000 people who visited Ginnie Springs over Memorial Day weekend last year.

As an adult, I didn’t think much about Florida’s springs until I learned that their condition was in rapid decline due to overpumping and pollution. After seeing this damage firsthand, I lent my voice to help create more awareness of the threat to these cerulean natural wonders.

Since then, I have witnessed an explosion in popularity of our springs — in media of all forms, in public consciousness and, most importantly, in recreational use by the public. Now I wonder if the awareness we worked so hard to create is adding to the problem. Are we loving our springs to death?

Florida’s springs have always attracted humans. There is archeological evidence that people visited Warm Mineral Springs in North Port 11,000 years ago. At Silver Glen Springs in the Ocala National Forest, pre-Columbian people left an archaeological record of an 8,000-year history of “landscape alteration and construction,” according to archaeologist Jason O’Donoughue.

Spanish settlers built a mission near Fig Spring along the Ichetucknee River in the 17th century in their attempt to control the region’s indigenous population. After the Civil War, springs became a draw for out-of-state visitors, both for sightseeing and bathing in the waters of spring-based spas.

Boosters of White Springs claimed that their sulphur spring was the state’s first attraction, going back to the 1830s. The popularity of Silver Springs was unrivaled during the Gilded Age, when steamboats transported sightseers from Palatka up the winding Ocklawaha River to see the massive spring system there.

In the age of the automobile, no Florida roadside attraction was more popular than Silver Springs. Owners Walter Ray and “Shorty” Davidson used creative marketing tactics to lure motorists.

The pair enlisted Ocala’s Bruce Mozert to create fantastic underwater photographs that ran in newspapers nationwide, beckoning even more visitors. After driving patterns shifted to interstates and corporate theme parks overshadowed natural attractions, many of our springs became recreational destinations at county and state parks.

Today these wonders are beloved by many. The cyan waters are instantly recognizable on the Instagram feeds of a new generation of spring lovers. The lure of springs tempts many beyond springs country. I sometimes worry that we have promoted our springs too much.

A great example is the Ichetucknee, long a beloved destination for Gainesville residents even before it was a state park. When foot traffic from people wading in the river damaged fragile ecosystems, wading was banned from the northern part of the river and daily capacity was limited to 3,000 people per day. But online reviews of the privately owned Ginnie Springs still warn of excess crowds — one called it a “dumpster fire in a train wreck crashing into a Wal-Mart on Black Friday.”

In response, efforts have arisen to educate the public on proper springs etiquette. “Speak Up for Our Springs” signs started popping up at the springs at state parks urging people to avoid stepping on submerged underwater growth. The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute created a video reminding people to “remember to keep your feet up, legs up and fins up” when swimming at a spring. These are good efforts and may make a difference.

Silver Springs is now a state park. Most of the vestiges of its roadside attraction days have been removed, with the notable exception of the beloved glass-bottom boats. But plans have been completed for construction of a swimming area — with a white sand beach and floating dock — similar to what was present during the park’s glory days. I have no doubt that swimming will again be popular at what was once perhaps the most visited spring in the world.

History shows that for thousands of years it has been impossible to resist the power of our springs. My hope is that we can become better stewards of these sensitive ecosystems so that future generations can experience their magic like I did as a kid.

Orlando-based writer and graphic designer Rick Kilby (rickkilby.com) is the author of “Florida’s Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas” (University Press of Florida, 2020). The book received the silver medal for Florida nonfiction from the Florida Book Awards and the Florida Historical Society’s Stetson Kennedy Award. His first book, “Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida's Magical Waters” (University Press of Florida, 2013), won a Florida Book Award in the Visual Arts category.

This column is part of The Sun's Messages from the Springs Heartland series. More pieces from the series can be found at bit.ly/springsheartland.

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A short drive from the city of Gainesville, Ocala National Forest was founded in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It covers an expansive area of 607 square miles. With a pleasant climate that encourages year-round visits, tourists can enjoy an assortment of outdoor activities in Ocala in a truly unique nature's playground. This article looks at 7 of the best things to do in Ocala National Forest.

Visit Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area

Site of the Silver Glen Spring, some 200 feet in diameter, this recreation area is amongst the most popular spots in all of Ocala National Forest. Go snorkeling, rent a canoe, take a swim, or simply hike around the nearby trails, this central area with its lush greenery and clear water is a great destination for the entire family. Visitors can hold picnics and even play some volleyball, while a small general store on the grounds offers the needed amenities for camping.

Visit Yearling Trail

Right across from Silver Glen Spring, the Yearling Trail is a charming and quiet nature area that inspired one of American literature's most beloved stories. Author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings spent time in the area and in 1938 published the novel "The Yearling," which became the bestselling novel in America that year. It would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a 1946 film starring Gregory Peck. Visitors can also enjoy beautiful green surroundings, sounds of nature, and warm sun in this rustic setting great for relaxation.

Go Swimming

Ocala National Forest provides ample opportunities for swimmers to enjoy the water and other aquatic activities. A visit to the aforementioned Silver Glen Spring is a must, while the Salt Springs Recreation Area is also a great place to cool off and take a dip. Stop by Alexander Springs for a rare chance to go scuba diving, where tourists can explore this natural pool's limestone rocks and sandy bottoms. Meanwhile, at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area, families can enjoy snorkeling, paddling, and old-fashioned swimming in a sub-tropical forest atmosphere with plenty of coveted shade.

Go Hiking

Hikers rejoice! At Ocala National Forest, those who love jogging, walking, or simply casually strolling, will find a wide variety of trails to hike. Indeed 106 km of the famed Florida National Scenic Trail is part of Ocala, with numerous recreation areas to stop at and enjoy the stunning surroundings. Enjoy the hike around the Juniper Springs, and Salt Springs Recreation stops, or gaze at the natural beauty at Alexander Springs. In Ocala National Forest, there are trails, boardwalks, and hiking adventures galore, perfect for those of all speeds.

Go Camping

Camping is an essential part of enjoying the Ocala National Forest, and one can find numerous campsites and recreation areas in the area. Families can bring their RVs and hitch up their tents at such sites as the Big Scrub Campground and the Rodman Campground, where it is easy to access electrical and water hookups. At Silver Springs recreation area, visitors can even spend the night in charming cabins in the beautiful, forested surroundings.

Go Paddling

With so many natural springs in the vastness of Ocala, water-based activities are never in short supply. For the adventuresome visitor, paddling and kayaking in the National Forest are some of the most unique and amusing ways to experience it. At Juniper Springs, an 11 km paddle trail twists through some stunning views of sub-tropical forest, offering great pockets of shade in the summer. Meanwhile, the 8 km Salt Springs Run and its mineral-infused water is a popular place to try paddling. It eventually leads into Florida's second largest lake, Lake George.

Go Biking

Full of trails, cyclists will also relish their time in Ocala National Forest. Whether riding through any of the small, forested routes or taking on the challenge of the Paisley Woods Bicycle Trail (a 35 km loop through the deep woods), bike enthusiasts will have fun and get a good workout while in Ocala. Additional trails at the Alexander Springs and Clearwater Lake recreation areas offer great closeups with local fauna, special to Florida.

Whether it is swimming, hiking, biking, or simply enjoying the surroundings at a charming campsite, Ocala National Forest is a truly wondrous place. For those looking to get better acquainted with some of Florida's most beautiful natural settings, there is no better place to explore than Ocala and all its allure.

While invasive species like Burmese pythons, housing-eating African land snails and giant Amazonian river monsters may get all the headlines, it's easy to forget that Florida is also home to hundreds of STD-riddled monkeys. And, earlier this month, a boater rolled up on a few dozen of these primates practicing some impressive high dives.

In a video posted to Facebook by Ocala resident Matthew Schwanke on Dec. 3, dozens of invasive rhesus macaques can be seen jumping from trees into the Silver River below.

"Short little river cruise turned into two rival monkey troops fighting it out for over half hour. Back and forth across the river like this screaming at each other," wrote Schwanke in the post.

"It's raining monkeys!" jokes Schwanke in the video.

Surprisingly, this isn't the first time these monkeys were caught on camera leaping from trees in this same area. In 2019, a kayaker filmed a similar scene with a few of the monkeys splashing down within a few feet from his boat.

For nearly a century, Silver Springs State Park has been home to a growing population of roughly 300 rhesus macaque monkeys, which are native to Central and Southeast Asia.

According to reports, the monkeys were left behind from a tourist attraction called Colonel Tooey's Jungle Cruise in the 1930s. It's believed that Tooey left the monkeys on an island in the middle of the river because he believed they couldn’t swim.

He was wrong.

Though mostly contained in the Ocala area, over the years the monkeys have been spotted as far as The Villages, Apopka, Jacksonville and even Tampa.

While incredibly cute and symbolic of Florida’s "forever war" with invasive species, the monkeys have been an ongoing concern with wildlife officials, partially because of their STDs.

A 2018 study from the Centers for Disease Control found that roughly 25% of the Silver Spring monkey population carried herpes B, which can cause brain damage in humans, and even death if not treated immediately.

It's important to note that the virus is transmitted through saliva and other bodily fluids (like poop throwing), so as of now there have been no known transmission of herpes B from a wild rhesus macaque to a human.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has previously stated that it supports the removal of the monkeys from the state park, but it has not given any specifics on how or when it would complete this task.

Florida is typically known for its gorgeous white-sand beaches, but the abundance of natural springs found in the state are equally impressive.

Florida springs offer crystal clear, cool water that is perfect for swimming, tubing and kayaking year-round, but they are particularly refreshing in the heart of summer. Below are six springs, some nearby, others a bit of a drive, and all perfect spots to cool off on a hot summer day.

Lithia Springs

Lithia Springs Park is well-known for its natural springs, which flow year-round at a crisp 72 degrees into the Alafia River. It is a great spot to swim, but the park also offers fishing, volleyball, picnic tables with a playground within view. Camping is also available for those who want to extend their stay.

Location: 3932 Lithia Springs Rd., Lithia, FL 33547 Summer hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Cost: $2 per vehicle park admission (up to 8 people); swimming $2 per person

Weeki Wachee Springs

Weeki Wachee may be known for their mermaids, but they are also a great spot to cool off in beautiful, brisk spring water. Here, guests of all ages can enjoy swimming, tubing, kayaking and tons of fun in Buccaneer Bay Water park, which includes a water slide, lazy river and kiddie pool all in gorgeous spring water. This is definitely not your typical water park. There is also a Wilderness River Cruise that runs daily from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Location: 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee, FL 34606 Hours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Cost: $13 for adults, $8 for children ages 6 to 12. Ages 5 and under admitted free.

Rainbow Springs

Rainbow Springs is roughly an hour and a half north of Tampa in Dunnellon. With its crisp, crystal clear water that flows into the Rainbow River, this is one of the most popular tubing destinations during the summer months. The adjacent spring is perfect for swimming and snorkeling, and the hiking trails that surround the spring feature some of the tallest waterfalls in Florida. This site is an easy day trip, but weekends are packed and the park closes when it reaches capacity. The best bet is to go on a weekday and to go early. For those hoping for a weekend, arrive before the park opens. Camping is available for those who don’t want to make an early drive.

Location: 19158 S.W. 81st Place Rd, Dunnellon FL 34432 Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, daily Cost: Park entrance is $2 per person (under 6, free); Tubing is an additional cost.

Wekiwa Springs This unique park just minutes from downtown Orlando features emerald springs feeding the Wekiwa River and lush tropical hammocks perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day. The crystal-clear water is a refreshing 72 degrees year-round. The swimming area at the spring is just over a half-acre in size with an average depth of four feet and is surrounded by wide-open grassy spaces perfect for picnicking. This is also a great place to snorkel.

Location: 1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka FL 32712 Hours: 8 a.m.-sundown, daily Cost: $6 per vehicle

Ichetucknee Springs

This area features spring-fed rivers, lush canopies and cool swimming hole, making it a perfect spot for both tubing and swimming. Tubing is available year round. With two drop-in spots. Swimming is available at either Ichetucknee Spring (head spring) or Blue Hole Spring, but it’s important to note Blue Hole Spring is for experience swimmers only due to its depth and current. The area is also home to 2,669-acre Ichetucknee Springs State Park, which is a wildlife haven where beaver, otter, gar, softshell turtle, wild turkey, wood duck and limpkin all find a home. This area is a bit of a drive from Tampa, so book a campsite in advance to make the most of your stay.

Location: 12087 S.W. U.S. Hwy 27, Fort White, FL 32038 Hours: 8 a.m. to sundown, daily Cost: $6 per vehicle; Tubing is an additional charge and information can be found here.

Juniper Springs

These springs, located in the Ocala National Forest, are a bit of a trek from Tampa, but worth the drive. Known for being one of the oldest recreation centers on the East coast, this place has it all. During the day, enjoy swimming snorkeling, picnicking, bird watching, paddling and hiking. This site tends to be packed on weekends and does close when capacity is reached. Make it a vacation by booking a camp site and arriving at the recreation area early in the day to take advantage of these gorgeous springs.

Location: 26701 E Highway 40, Silver Springs, FL 34488 Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., daily Cost: $8 on weekdays and $11 on weekends; Camp sites are additional.

By Karen Ring