ASIA / PACIFIC
June 5, 2017
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5
Thailand chunky monkey on diet after gorging on junk food
UNCLE FAT. A wild obese macaque named
“Uncle Fat,” who was rescued from a Bangkok sub-
urb, sits in a rehabilitation center in Bangkok, Thailand.
Most macaque monkeys like Uncle Fat typically weigh
around 20 pounds, but he weighs three times that,
tipping the scales at around 60 pounds. (AP Photo/
Sakchai Lalit)
By Richard A. Somma
The Associated Press
ANGKOK — A morbidly obese
wild monkey who gorged himself
on junk food and soda left behind
by tourists has been rescued and placed on
a strict diet of lean protein, fruit, and
vegetables.
Wildlife officials caught the chunky
monkey — nicknamed “Uncle Fat” by
locals — after photos of the animal started
circulating on social media.
Wild monkeys roam free in many parts
of Thailand, attracting tourists who feed
and play with the animals. Most of the
monkeys are macaques like Uncle Fat,
and they typically weigh around 20
pounds.
Uncle Fat weighs three times that,
tipping the scales at around 60 pounds.
“It was not easy to catch him,” said
Kacha Phukem, the wildlife official who
conducted the capture and rescue in late
April. “He was the leader of his pack, and
when I tried to go in, I had to fight off a
B
flock of them with sticks.”
The subordinate monkeys fed into Uncle
Fat’s bad habits.
“He had minions and other monkeys
bringing food for him, but he would also
re-distribute it to younger monkeys,” said
Supakarn Kaewchot, a veterinarian in
charge of the monkey’s diet. “He is now in
critical condition where there is a high risk
of heart disease and diabetes.”
Uncle Fat is believed to be between 10
and 15 years old. To help him lose weight,
his new diet is limited to 400 grams worth
of lean protein, fruit, and vegetables twice
a day. Supakarn said she hopes within a
few months they can consider releasing
him to the wild.
She said Uncle Fat is an example of why
people shouldn’t feed wild monkeys
unhealthy food.
“I understand that people feel sorry for
the monkeys and want to feed them when
they see them,” Supakarn said. “But
please don’t feed them food that people like
to eat, like snacks and soda. It is very bad
for their health and the problem is entirely
manmade.”
China conducts demolitions at Tibetan Buddhist study site
BEIJING
(AP)
—
Chinese authorities in
southwestern
Sichuan
province have evicted fol-
lowers and razed hundreds
of homes at one of the
world’s largest centers of
Tibetan Buddhist learning
in a months-long operation
that has drawn protests
from Tibetans in exile.
Local officials in Garze
prefecture say they are
carrying out demolitions to
prevent overcrowding and
to renovate Larung Gar, a
sprawling, mountainside
settlement that housed
more than 10,000 monks
and nuns who stayed and
studied for months at a
time.
Authorities
are
reportedly seeking to cut
the population by half, to
5,000.
q
Scientists find
38 million pieces
of trash on
Pacific island
Continued from page 3
in the gyre cause the
buildup of plastic items on
places like Henderson
Island.
“As we get more and
more of these types of
studies, it is bringing home
the reality of plastic in the
oceans,” Bowen said.
q
Firefighters rescue
turtle trapped in
power station
Continued from page 4
He said the turtle’s front
right flipper was missing
and it was believed to have
swum during high tide
when the gate was opened.
Razif said the two
firefighters waded into the
water and battled strong
currents to free the turtle,
which was hauled to safety
and released back to the
ocean.
Overseas Tibetan groups
say the forced evictions and
demolitions are meant to
put a damper on the
practice and spread of
Tibetan Buddhism. Larung
Gar’s
academy
has
increasingly
attracted
large numbers of disciples
from China’s Han ethnic
majority as well as foreign
visitors.
Earlier this year, a video
circulated on social media
that purportedly showed
young Tibetan nuns from
the
monastery
being
directed to sing about their
Chinese-ness and pledge
patriotic loyalty inside a
government building.
Several United Nations
special rapporteurs wrote
to the Chinese government
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in November to express
concern about “serious
repression” of Buddhist
Tibetan
cultural
and
religious practices in the
region.