That Time Monkeys Took The Subway
Oct. 18, 2011, 6:23 p.m.
In 1960, some monkeys were discovered waiting for trains on subway platforms. Really!
The AP story, and a random rhesus monkey!
We've heard about teenagers trying to smuggle penguins on the subway before, but what about monkeys standing next to you on the platform? It happened! Way back when news was awesome, in 1960. Ephemeral NY recalls that in July of that year, more than one rhesus monkey was spotted on the 1 train.
At the time, the AP reported, “Last Monday two monkeys—origin unknown—were sighted by a passenger in the Chambers Street Station,” and the NY Times later followed up when another "traveling monkey" was spotted “standing on the northbound platform at the Rector Street Station, as if waiting for the train."
There are photos of two monkeys captured by the ASPCA (skip ahead to 1960 in this photo timeline), but who knows how many more were roaming the tunnels. There could be an entire monkey army down there, just waiting...
