The thick ape of Thailand on the feed after having gorged of the junk food
BANGKOK - A wild morbid obesity monkey who has gorged on junk food and soda left by tourists has been rescued and placed on a strict diet of lean protein, Fruits and vegetables.
Wildlife officials grabbed the rude monkey - nicknamed "Uncle Fat" by the locals - after the pictures of the animal began to circulate on social media last month.
Wild monkeys roam in many parts of Thailand, attracting tourists who feed and play with animals. Most monkeys are macaques like Uncle Fat, and they generally weighed about 9 kilograms (20 pounds).
Uncle Fat weighs three times more, tilting the scales to about 26 kilograms (60 pounds).
"It was not easy to catch it," said Kacha Phukem, the wildlife officer who led the capture and rescue on 27 April. "He was the leader of his platoon, and when I tried to enter, I had to beat a herd with sticks."
Subordinate monkeys feed Uncle Fat's bad habits.
"He had worries and other monkeys that brought him food, but he would also distribute it to younger monkeys," said Supakarn Kaewchot, a veterinarian responsible for the monkey diet.
"After eating food by humans for a while, he developed a large mass that became a kind of benign tumor," Supakarn said. "He is now in critical condition where there is a high risk of heart disease and diabetes"
Uncle Fat is supposed to be between 10 and 15 years old. To help him lose weight, his new diet is limited to 400 grams of lean protein, fruit and vegetables twice a day. Supakarn said that she hoped that in a few months they might consider releasing her into the wild.
She stated that Uncle Fat is an example of why people should not feed wild monkeys unhealthy food.
"I understand that people are sorry for monkeys and want to feed them when they see them," Supakarn said. "But please do not feed them food that people like to eat like snacks and soda. This is very bad for their health and the problem is entirely artificial.
HEALTH COACH -
Comments
Post a Comment