In South Carolina there is an island of wild monkeys: you can watch the life of 4000 individuals

Hidden in the Strait of Saint Helena, off the coast of Beaufort (South Carolina), is Morgan Island. It's made up of over 2000 acres (810 ha) of pristine land, but don't expect to wallow in the sand - this island belongs only to monkeys. More than 4000 of them live here. The publication told more about this island Travel and Leisure.

Photo: IStock

How did the monkey colony end up on an island off the coast of South Carolina, you ask?

The Greenville Business Magazine clarified the situation: in the summer of 1979, 1400 rhesus monkeys were brought to the island in order to use them as animals for research. Since then, their population has increased to 4000.

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This was all part of the US government's plan to create a "self-sufficient breeding program" after India banned the export of viable research animals. And Morgan Island was the perfect home for that.

Now this island is subordinate to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the monkey colony itself belongs to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This means that people are not allowed on the island as they may disturb the animals - it is illegal to even try to gain access to that land. However, that doesn't mean you can't see it at all.

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Visitors can still take a boat trip around the island and cruise along the coast to see a monkey or two dangling in the distance. You can make this visit easier by visiting nearby Edisto Island and taking a trip by boat or kayak. Just remember: the island belongs to them, not to you. So keep your distance and enjoy this unique place.

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