For half a century, they have haunted the swampy forests east of Federal Highway.The Dania Beach monkeys, African vervet monkeys thought to have been released by an old tourist attraction in the 1950s, beg bananas, mangoes and other handouts from people who live and work at the edges of their habitat.The monkey colony has been a shadowy, little-known aspect of South Florida life, with the monkeys hiding in the almost impenetrable mangrove forests west of Port Everglades. But a Ph.D. student at Florida Atlantic University has begun shedding light on them, launching the first systematic study of them in 20 years. Her initial conclusions: Despite talk that the colony was dying out, it appears to be stable and enjoys broad popularity in the surrounding community.
