We all know what fast food does to our body. But it isn’t just humans that junk food has an adverse effect on. Wild animals, too, can have a similar effect on their body.
Often times, zoo animals end up consuming whatever tourists throw at them, without any supervision.
And in one of the most heart-breaking examples of how ignorant humans altered the eating habits of wild monkeys in Thailand horribly affecting their health, is a reminder that we should be extremely careful about what we feed them with.
A macaque monkey in Thailand has been put on a diet after he gained a massive amount of weight by eating fast food given by tourists.
Just like in India, monkeys roam around at tourist places in Thailand as well. And out of love or sympathy for the animal, people feed them with whatever they have, mostly snacks and fast food. And it was because of this that a monkey grew three times his ideal weight.
He got so big in size that the local people named him ‘Uncle Fat’. It was after the photographs of this unbelievably fat monkey started making rounds on the social media that it alarmed the wildlife officials.
Kach Phukem, the wildlife official who captured the obese monkey, said:
“It was not easy to catch him. He was the leader of his pack, and when I tried to go in, I had to fight off a flock of them with sticks.”
Uncle Fat isn’t the only one to enjoy fast food alone. He has also passed on this habit to other monkeys in his pack. In the words of Supakarn Kaewchot, a veterinarian who’s taking care of the monkey’s diet:
“He had minions and other monkeys bringing food for him but he would also re-distribute it to younger monkeys. He is now in a critical condition where there is high-risk of heart disease and diabetes.”
Worried by his potential health decline, the obese monkey has been put on a strict healthy diet. His new diet includes 400 grams worth of lean protein, and fruits and vegetables twice a day, to help him get back in shape.
If all goes well, he can be released back into the wild within a few months.
Supakarn further warns people against feeding snacks and fast food to the animals. He told India Today:
“I understand that people feel sorry for the monkeys and want to feed them when they see them. But please don’t feed them food that people like to eat like snacks and soda. It is very bad for their health and the problem is entirely man-made.”
