Monkeys probably don't know much about nutrition, but they know they love bananas. Why? It's probably because bananas tend to grow in the hot, tropical areas where monkeys usually live. They're a convenient source of food that happens to taste great and provide a lot of nutrients in a small package.
Do monkeys prefer apples or bananas?
In Phase 1, each chimpanzee selected the banana piece 100% of the time. This confirmed high preference for banana over apple.
Why monkeys should not eat bananas?
"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."
Where did the idea of monkeys like bananas come from?
Monkeys thrived on insects and fruits other than banana. The pet monkeys in captivity, of course, were served bananas since bananas were abundant in the Philippines. Some Americans did business by exporting monkeys to the U.S. for experimentation in laboratories. They fed the monkeys with bananas.
What happens if you give a monkey a banana?
Contrary to the stereotype, bananas are not the preferred food of monkeys in the wild. Bananas, especially those containing pesticides, can be upsetting to the monkeys' delicate digestive system and cause serious dental problems that can lead to eventual death.
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