Uncle Fat the monkey is going on a diet
THAILAND - Life is not a 'barrel-full of monkey fun' right now for this monkey, who's got to lose a barrel-full of weight.
"Uncle Fat" is a Macaque monkey getting some diet help from wildlife officials in Thailand. He became a 'chunky monkey' in the wild by gorging on junk-food handouts by local tourists as he roamed.
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But, he got captured by wildlife officials in order to help his 'jelly-belly', which also formed a tumor. Now, he's getting a healthier diet regimen of lean protein, fruit and vegetables to help him lose weight and avoid the same health risks as humans for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Officials hope to make "Uncle Fat" into a "Slim-Jim" by getting his weight back to normal ranges.
Macaques normally weigh about 20 pounds, and this monkey was tipping the scales at three times that much at 60 pounds.