St. Louis Calls Off Search for Band of Monkeys Allegedly Accompanied by a Goat After AI Images Flood Social Media

St. Louis officials have suspended an active search for monkeys reported loose in the city after artificial intelligence-generated images flooded social media and overshadowed actual tips.

Multiple vervet monkeys were first reported this past week near a park in the northern part of the city, according to local officials.

The sightings quickly triggered what city leaders described as widespread confusion.

“It’s unclear who owns the monkeys, how they got loose, or exactly how many there are,” city Department of Health spokesperson Willie Springer said, KTVI reported.

Springer said the reports sparked “rumor after rumor” as residents began posting claims online.

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Some of those claims included assertions that the monkeys had been captured.

Others included images purportedly showing the animals across the city.

Several