Morgan Island, South Carolina, United States

Morgan Island, located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, is locally known as Monkey Island because of the sheer population of the rhesus monkeys. This island has a swampy topography and is home to almost 3,500 free-roaming monkeys living in their natural and favorable habitat. The island is a 4,489-acre marshland, and that’s a huge investment of ground space for these wild primates.

According to records, the colony of rhesus monkeys found on the island was originally from La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The monkeys had to be relocated because they were said to be the cause of a virus outbreak that happened in some places in Puerto Rico. Local researchers then suggested using Morgan Island as a rehabilitation center for these monkeys. Since the relocation to the island, all of the monkeys within the area are now owned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).