A gang of monkeys wandering around the streets of Missouri is being hunted down after officials admitted they had no idea where they came from.

The city's Department of Health warned residents of St. Louis on January 9 about monkeys wandering in the North City area in a post to X with photos of the small primates.

'Original reports suggested there were four animals, but we cannot confirm an actual number at this time, only that there is more than one,' Justen Hauser, environmental health bureau chief with the St Louis Department of Health, said in a statement.

An animal control officer was dispatched on January 8 to O'Fallon Park, where the monkeys were spotted. The following day, several officers continued to patrol the area after reported sightings.

'We are working to get an idea of where they may be hiding or seeking food,' Hauser added. 'We are engaging with partner agencies that are properly trained and equipped to safely capture these animals.'

The St. Louis Zoo identified the primates as vervet monkeys, a species that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.

'At this time, we do not know where these animals came from,' said Hauser.

He added that monkeys are very intelligent and social, but may be unpredictable or aggressive if under stress.

Residents of St. Louis were warned about monkeys loose on the north side of the city by officials on January 9

Vervet monkeys were spotted roaming around in the area of O'Fallon Park. Officials urged residents to stay away due to the animals unpredictable and possibly aggressive behaviour 

After the vervets are eventually captured, they will be transported to a facility that caters to exotic animals.

The statement added that owning an exotic animal is prohibited in the city of St. Louis.

There are several subspecies of monkeys running loose in St. Louis, but generally, their bodies are greenish-olive or silvery-gray, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

The vervet travels in packs of 10 to 50, known as troops, and is sometimes viewed as a pest for its habit of stealing food and raiding crops, leading to heavy annual slaughter by poison, traps, and guns.

The monkeys have become valuable to researchers in recent years, prompting them to be captured alive, according to the foundation.

The Vervet eats a primarily vegetarian diet of leaves and shoots, but also consumes bark, flowers, fruit, bulbs, roots, and grass seeds. However, they do at times ingest insects, baby birds, rodents, and eggs.

No vervet monkeys have been caught and officials have not confirmed the amount of animals are loose