Monkeys banned from eating banana

Monkeys at a zoo in Devon have been banned
from eating bananas – for the sake of their
health. Zookeepers said the fruit grown and exported for
human consumption have far higher levels of
sugar than the ones monkeys would eat in the
wild – to the point that it’s bad for their teeth and
can lead to diabetes. Despite the obvious cliché, the animals are now
only allowed to have bananas as a special treat or
when they need medication. Nutritionists likened
it to giving children cake and chocolate, but
added that unlike children the deprived monkeys
“can’t complain”. Experts at Paignton Zoo, Devon, said the sugar-
free diet was working wonders for the animals –
even making them calmer and more sociable. Senior head keeper of mammals Matthew Webb
said: “We have noticed an improvement in the
condition of primate coats - in particular the
colour and thickness of the fur of the Sulawesi
crested black macaques. “Smaller monkeys such as tamarins and
marmosets are highly-strung animals and live in
tight-knit social groups which can be quite
aggressive at times. Reducing the sugar in their
diets has calmed them down and made their
groups more settled.” A female baby orangutan born at Paignton
Zoo last year with her mother - the poor
thing would now only get to eat bananas as
a treat or if she is unwell Amy Plowman, head of conservation and
advocacy, said visitors might be surprised by the
concept of getting in between monkeys and the
food perceived to be their favourite. “People usually try to improve their diet by
eating more fruit - but fruit cultivated for
humans is much higher in sugar and much lower
in protein and fibre than most wild fruit because
we like our fruit to be so sweet and juicy,” she
said. “Giving this fruit to animals is equivalent to
giving them cake and chocolate. “Compared to the food they would eat in the
wild, bananas are much more energy-dense - they
have lots of calories - and contain much more
sugar that's bad for their teeth and can lead to
diabetes and similar conditions. “It can also cause gastrointestinal problems as
their stomachs are mostly adapted to eating
fibrous foods with very low digestibility.” Dr Plowman said it had not been too hard to
wean the monkeys off bananas and give them
vegetables instead. “We reduced the amounts slowly so they had a
long period to get accustomed to their new diet,”
she said. “They didn't get a choice but - unlike children -
they couldn't complain. “The alternative is vegetables and lots of them,
especially leafy green veg. We still use starchy
root veg. “But we have reduced amounts as it can still be
quite high in sugar and other readily-digestible
carbohydrate. Leafy green veg is great because it
is high in protein, fibre and lots of vitamins and
minerals.” A specialist pellet feed gives them the correct
balance of nutrients, while small amounts of
cooked brown rice can be scattered around
enclosures to encourage foraging. The animals do still get the occasional banana if
they are unwell and the keepers need to make
sure they take medication. Dr Plowman said: “Putting it in a piece of banana
works really well, as it's such a treat now.”