The search is on for the monkey.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they are combing an area in south St. Petersburg in search of the 40-pound Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay after an attack on a woman.

The St. Petersburg woman is recovering after she was bitten by the monkey Monday night. The officials they received word of the attack late Tuesday afternoon.

The woman is in good condition and is recovering from her injuries.  Officials said she will still have to be tested in case she contracted anything from the bite.

"The female was at her residence," FWC officer Baryl Martin said. "The animal jumped on her back and bit her twice."

The FWC believes this is an unprovoked attack and the monkey could possibly have simian herpes or hepatitis.  Officials are asking the public to avoid the area, saying new activity will hinder their efforts to capture him.

Spokesman Gary Morse says it has lost its fear of people and may attack anything in its area that is not familiar to him.

Officers say neighbors have been feeding him, even though they have been told not to do so, and he now associates food with people.

The most recent photos of the primate shows he is a little heavier than he was when he was last spotted.

The monkey - a rhesus macaque - has been spotted in several places throughout the Bay area, starting in February 2010.  It has been seen on apartment buildings, in trees and in someone's yard. 

Most of the sightings have been in Pinellas County, but it also made its way to Hillsborough County at one point.

Some neighbors said they are not convinced that the mystery monkey is responsible for the attack. One local resident said said she is absolutely convinced it is not this monkey that bit the victim.

"He's a resident, is what he is," said Lynn Smith of Guardian Angel Senior Care, who rescues dogs in the area. "He's safe. He's sound. Nobody bothers him.  He sits and watches golfers going by.  I'm sure they see him and he doesn't bother anyone.  He's not going to attack anyone.  He's not going to let you bring food to him by hand at all."

She says she is very familiar with the monkey and says there is no possibility the monkey would or could do this.

The main focus for FWC is trying to secure the animal, not only for the public's safety, but also for the animal's safety.

Officials are asking anyone who sees the monkey or gets near it to stay away and call the police immediately.  Do not feed the monkey and do not try to touch it.