At Salzburg Zoo

Food drama: Capuchin monkeys suffer sugar shock

An unknown visitor had thrown ten bananas into the animals' enclosure. The seven monkeys couldn't take it at all.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

An unteachable visitor fed the seven capuchin monkeys at Salzburg Zoo a number of bananas - with almost fatal consequences. "It could have turned out much worse," says their worried keeper. 

"They now have an appetite again," says keeper Jennifer Gratzl happily. Two days ago, things looked very different: Gratzl found the seven capuchin monkeys in their enclosure at Salzburg Zoo in a worrying condition. "They had broken several times and were hunched over very badly," says the keeper.

The reason for this was quickly found: An incorrigible zoo visitor had thrown ten bananas at the monkeys. "The monkeys devoured them, it was simply far too much sugar for the older animals."

"Please don't feed our zoo residents!"
A vet looked after the monkeys and was able to nurse them back to health. "But it could have turned out much worse," Gratzl is certain. Zoo director Sabine Grebner appeals: "Please don't feed our zoo residents!"

Monkeys only get a little fruit
All animals receive their food according to meticulously coordinated plans. Like humans, four-legged friends can have various food intolerances. "Bananas are to monkeys as chocolate is to us. In such quantities, it's madness," emphasizes Grebner. The capuchin monkeys, for example, are only given 500 grams of fruit to eat every day. "And only in the afternoon," says the zoo manager.

Zoo manager Sabine Grebner shows the species-appropriate food for the capuchin monkeys.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

If you really want to feed the animals at Hellbrunn, you can buy pellets at the ticket office. "The dwarf goats, camera sheep and alpacas love it," says Grebner. And: "Feeding is taboo for all other animals in the zoo. This should also be a matter of course for grazing animals and ducks in the park."