Chimps Seen Sucking Brains from Monkeys' Heads

By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | April 12, 2018 12:28pm ET

Chimpanzees are primarily plant eaters, though they enthusiastically eat animals when they can catch them, and monkeys are an especially desirable treat. But once the snack is in hand — and with so many delicious body parts to choose from — which do the predatory primates eat first?

Wonder no longer. Scientists have discovered that it all depends on the age of the unfortunate prey.

Researchers recently filmed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Tanzania's Gombe National Park excitedly munching on monkeys, hoping to learn more about the chimps' carnivorous eating habits. Whenever older monkeys were on the menu, chimps tended to initially harvest the organs — particularly the liver, which is rich in fat, the scientists reported in a new study.

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