Anna Hartz
A monkey holding an ice cream or a bag of chips may sound like a cartoon scene. In Gibraltar, it is a common sight.
Travelers often expect to see unusual things when they visit famous places. Animals behaving in human-like ways can be funny at first. But sometimes those moments tell a deeper story about how people affect wildlife. That is now the case in Gibraltar, where monkeys and tourists meet every day.
Coping by eating soil
Every year, many visitors come to see the wild Barbary macaque that live in the area. Some tourists give them snacks like ice cream, chips, and other junk food. Others leave food behind without thinking much about it.
This has created a problem for the animals, writes Videnskab. Like humans, macaques cannot easily digest sweet, fatty, and salty foods. Many of them struggle with these new eating habits. Researchers have now found that the monkeys have developed a way to cope. They eat soil.
A study published in Scientific Reports followed the monkeys for two years. Scientists from University of Cambridge led the research. They noticed a clear pattern between contact with tourists and soil eating.
Protecting the gut
The monkeys ate much less soil during the winter months. Fewer tourists visit during that time. There was also one group of macaques that stayed away from people. Those monkeys did not eat soil at all.
The researchers believe the soil helps protect the gut. It contains bacteria and minerals that are missing from processed food. This may help reduce problems like nausea and diarrhea. Dr. Sylvain Lemoine, who led the study, explained that monkeys become lactose intolerant after they stop drinking milk from their mothers. Dairy products can cause digestive issues. Ice cream is very popular with tourists, which makes it easy for monkeys to get it.
Local staff already feed the animals with fruit, vegetables, and water every day. It is also illegal for tourists to feed them. Still, many people ignore the rules. As a result, nearly one fifth of the monkeys’ diet now comes from junk food.
