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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