Tourists visiting the Ohama Park in the Japanese city of Osaka have hurled so many titbits to the resident troupe of monkeys that some are so obese they can hardly walk.
Some visitors assume the roly-poly monkeys are pregnant
Fat monkeys at Ohama Park in the Japanese city of Osaka
The monkeys have been put on a low-fat diet
A sign telling visitors not to feed the monkeys at Ohama Park in the Japanese city of Osaka
Staff have placed signs around the park urging people not to feed the overweight monkeys.
The park has 50 Macaca mulatta monkeys, which generally weigh up to 11 kg in the wild.
On a diet of crisps, bread and sweets provided by well-meaning visitors around a third of the monkeys are now overweight and the five leaders of the troupe tip the scales at more than 15 kg.
The heaviest male weighs over 29kg and does little more than shuffle around the 420-square-metre enclosure waiting for the next hand-out, according to park officials.
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The monkeys have been put on a special low-fat diet and signs have been put around the enclosure asking visitors not to feed them.
But the park estimates that as many as 20 people every day ignore the request.
Questioned about when the baby monkeys are due to be born, one official said he had to explain that one roly-poly monkey was actually a male with a pot belly.
The city government is considering erecting a fence around the enclosure to stop people throwing more food to the already overweight beasts.
See the images and read the rest of the story on the Web site at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1929251/Chunky-monk...
i sense some jealously. :)
i don't see why they let them get that fat, it's not healthy for them, and they are supposed to show the public these animals in top shape as much as they can in captivity.