The adrenaline monkeys! Fearless primates leap from 30ft trees into alligator-infested river before clambering up bank to safety
A group of courageous monkeys were captured on camera jumping 30 feet out of a tree and diving into gator-infested water.
As they spanned the Silver River in Florida, the acrobatic animals displayed their incredible aerial prowess; some mothers even carried young on their backs before belly-flopping into the water below.
Due to the alligators waiting below, they choose a small portion of the river to cross. They throw themselves as far over the river as they can before swimming to the bank and climbing the trees to safety.
On December 1 of this year, the fearless rhesus macaques were observed by Scottish photographer Graham McGeorge and his wife Ellen.
Graham, who is now a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, said: “It happened in a split second so I had to shoot what I could.” Fortunately, I was able to use my camera, and my wife was able to use her phone.
I frequently traveled down the Silver River during the past few years to take pictures of the wildlife that lived there.
“Seeing the monkeys is never guaranteed, so when you do, it’s a huge plus and a wonderful experience, but this was something I had never seen before,” the traveler said.
They can only cross the river by swimming over it or by making an attempt to hop from tree to tree on either side of the banks.
The trees were too far apart in this instance, so they had to jump 30 feet and swim the remaining distance.
The seven-mile-long river is overrun with alligators and is infested. The gators must be beginning to hibernate now that the weather is starting to cool off.
It’s likely that the monkeys have realized there is less threat and are contently belly-flopping into the water.
When looking for the rhesus macaque at the river, Graham has a friend act as his guide.
They aren’t terrified of the water, continued “Captain” Tom O’Lenick, who has been leading trips at Silver River for 30 years.
The troupe’s leaders ordered them to flip into the lake one by one because the canopy was so close together.
