On #WorldHealthDay, our 20th daily #BrightenYourDay video has a serious side. Watching #monkeys eat stolen ice creams might seem amusing to many observers, but not only does it adversely affect their diet and lead to obesity, it also exposes them to the risk of contagious diseases such as #Covid19, colds and flu.
These bonnet macaques, Macaca radiata, in Periyar National Park​, #India, have perfected the art of swiping ice creams from unwary tourists, or rushing at a crowd to cause people to drop food items in panic. With the new global awareness that viruses can jump species, strict measures must be introduced to minimise this risk wherever human and non-human #primates can cough and sneeze near each other or pick up fomites - objects that could carry germs. There are clear signs at #Periyar warning visitors not to feed the monkeys, but the monkeys see the tourists as a walking food source... time to stop selling snacks and ice creams in locations where monkeys frequently forage!
Note: If you are thinking that Bonnet Macaques are a common species across southern India, so why does it matter if a few fall sick - remember that Periyar has an important tiger population, and a sick monkey is easy prey for any predator. Tigers in the Bronx Zoo have been confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19, so the risk is very real.