In Photos: Obese Macaque Gorges on Human Junk Food

Countdowns
By Jeanna Bryner
published

Who's grooming?

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

In this social animal, grooming can be a measure of status. For instance, lower-ranking individuals tend to groom, at length, the higher-ranking macaques, the primate center said.

Tool users

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

Scientists have found that about 80 percent of a population of Burmese long-tailed macaques on an island in southern Thailand actually use tools. The study, published May 13, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, revealed the animals were using tools made of stones and shells to crack open seafood.

Lots of food

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

The long-tailed macaque in Bangkok can be seen eating leftovers and snacks from tourists in the area.

Lonely?

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

The long-tailed macaque from Bangkok is lounging around.

Eating like a tourist

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

The obese macaque chows down on human food.

Tourist attraction

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand.

An obese long-tailed macaque in Thailand. (Image credit: Viral Press)

Apparently, tourists at the Bangkok floating market love watching this monkey chow down.

Jeanna Bryner
Jeanna Bryner
Live Science Editor-in-Chief

Jeanna served as editor-in-chief of Live Science. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Jeanna has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland, and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.