In Thailand, a morbidly obese "chunky" macaque monkey called "Uncle Fat" has been captured and put on a diet after feeding himself and other monkeys in his pack a steady diet of junk food left by tourists and ballooning to three times the normal weight for a monkey his size.
Wild macaques roam the streets of Thailand and play with tourists there who often feed them or leave food for them. Uncle Fat was caught by wildlife officials after pictures of the macaque showed up on social media last month, according to The Associated Press. He weighs 60 pounds; a normal-sized macaque weighs 20 pounds.
The monkey developed a fat mass that became a benign tumor, the AP reported. He is also at high risk of developing heart disease and diabetes even though he is only 10 to 15 years old.
It wasn’t easy to catch Uncle Fat, according to Kacha Phukem, the official in charge of the operation, Metro reported. "He was the leader of his pack, and when I tried to go in, I had to fight off a flock of them with sticks," Phukem said.
Uncle Fat had other monkeys bringing him food, but also gave some of it to younger monkeys in the pack. He is now on a strict diet of lean protein and vegetables, the AP reported.
Twitter users wondered why people would feed the monkeys and when the new bestselling "monkey diet" book would hit the shelves.
Let’s hope Uncle Fat gets some royalties if the book does well.
Related stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.