Monkey Business

And the business of being monkeys.

https://vimeo.com/1200584171

We've lived here for over a dozen years and it is still a thrill to watch monkeys in the trees, always nailing the landing as they make seemingly impossible jumps from one branch tip to the next. Like our visitors who are seeing monkeys in the wild for the first time, we also can't help but stop and watch them being monkeys. For us they have begun to feel like family.

And this is why we understand how very, very tempting it is to try and feed them.

Please don't. You are harming them greatly if you feed them. Here are the reasons how and why:

1 Monkeys are highly susceptible to disease from human hands.

Harmless to you, the bacteria you transfer can kill them;

2 Irregular feeding leads to aggressive behaviour;

3 Feeding creates a dangerous dependence on humans

and diminishes their survival abilities;

4 Migration to human populated areas (to be fed) increases the risk of dog attacks and road accidents;

5 Bananas are not preferred by monkeys in the wild,

and bananas with pesticides can upset the delicate digestive systems of monkeys, cause serious dental problems and eventual death;

6 Pregnant females fed nothing but bananas

will either give birth to malnourished infants or not come to term:

7 Contact with humans facilitates poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife;

8 They can also pass illness on to us;

9 Monkeys' need to travel an average of 17 kilometers each day to be in good condition.

If they know food is available in a single location, they won't move from there;

10 Feeding interferes with the monkey's natural habits

and upsets the balance of their lifestyle centered on eating wild fruits, seeds, small animals, and insects.

And if you are still feeling unsure:

11 It is prohibited by Costa Rican law to feed wild life.

I'm sure now you will not want to feed the monkeys. Thanks for reading this.