Nettle Eating Monkey Gets A Surprise Sting!
12th July 2011
This inquisitive monkey bit off more than she could chew when she ate a nettle - and got stung.
The baby rhesus monkey tentatively grabbed the stinging nettle while exploring her enclosure at Longleat Safari Park & Adventure Park, Wilts.
At first she appeared unsure about what to do with the leaf before she put it in her mouth.
Seconds later her face grimaced in shock as the nettle gave her a nasty nip before she spat it out in her hand and looked at it puzzlingly.
The amusing moment was caught on camera by Longleat's deputy head warden Ian Turner who had noticed the two-month-old monkey acting curiously around the nettles.
Ian said: “I had only hoped to get a quick close-up snap of the baby looking towards me. I didn’t quite expect her to begin eating the stinging nettle!
“The monkeys here are normally preoccupied with visitor cars but this young monkey obviously found something which appeared more interesting.
“Most animals don’t generally react in the same way humans do to stinging nettles. I was quite surprised at the reaction this little one had towards it!
“She’s probably no more than a couple of months old but clearly has no fear.
“We normally feed the monkeys a special primate diet as well as a mix of fruit to feed on but obviously on this occasion the temptation of a stinging nettle seemed irresistible!”
The monkey is one of more than 100 Rhesus Macaques at Longleat Safari & Adventure Park who normally spend their days leaping from car to car, hitching free rides on the thousands of vehicles that pass through their enclosure each day.
The sting this young monkey had from the nettle appeared to be short-lived though as it was not too long before she was soon seen with the rest of the troop hunting out the next unsuspecting visitor car.
Rhesus macaque monkeys are found throughout south east Asia and across the Indian sub-continent.
In some parts of India they are believed to be sacred and have lived in close contact with humans for centuries.
They are extremely intelligent, naturally inquisitive animals which can learn to manipulate simple tools and distinguish colours and shapes.
They live in family troops of 20 or more and are led by a dominant male.