Is there a monkey on the loose in North Myrtle Beach, SC? Here’s what we know

Reports of monkey sightings around North Myrtle Beach have been circulating on social media in recent weeks, but is there an exotic animal roaming the streets of the Grand Strand?

North Myrtle Beach police spokesperson Patrick Wilkinson said the department had two cases for the monkey sightings but could not detail the number of reports submitted. Despite reported sightings, police haven’t received any pictures or videos of a monkey.

“I can confirm we’ve been out at least twice looking for a monkey,” Wilkinson said. “We haven’t found it.”

Following reports called in by witnesses, police searched the area around Molten Miniature Golf, from 13th Avenue North to Vereen Road, between Highway 17 North and the Intracoastal Waterway, according to Wilkinson. In both searches, police were unable to locate a monkey.

“If we legitimately have a monkey running around, we can at least take it up and see one, if it’s a pet monkey that got loose, or two, we now have a monkey population in South Carolina,” Wilkinson said.

The South Carolina Code of Laws prohibits private citizens without special licenses from owning great apes, like chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, unless the person acquired the ape before 2018.

However, state law places no restrictions on smaller primate species, so it’s possible that a monkey escaped from a private owner and ran, or still is running, loose around North Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published September 18, 2024 at 6:00 AM.