Last updated on September 27th, 2022
I decided to take my fourth graders to the zoo at a time when the animals are fed. This would give the children an idea about the type of food animals are typically given when they are bred in captivity.
After visiting the zoo, my students were quite intrigued by the food habits of the animals. Some of them came up with questions about the monkeys’ eating habits.
Usually, we associate bananas as the staple food or even the favourite fruit of monkeys, but can monkeys eat apples?
Monkeys do eat apples because their diet mainly consists of fruits, but apples are seasonal in most parts of the world, and the accessibility of apple trees is limited for monkeys. Therefore, monkeys usually cannot get hold of apples in the wild, but they’ll eat with joy if they find them.
How many apples can a monkey eat?
There is no particular limitation to the number of apples you can give to a monkey because they’ll eat until they’re full, however, their consumption level is approximately 5-11 apples but this will solely depend on how hungry or full the monkey is.
Apples are pretty healthy for monkeys and are low in calories. Therefore, it can be a part of a monkey’s regular diet.
You will find that in zoos, monkeys are given apples almost every day.
Therefore, there is usually no limitation to the number of apples a monkey can consume but they will stop eating once they are full.
Can monkeys drink apple juice?
Monkeys need to drink water to avoid getting dehydrated. In tropical regions, monkeys are sometimes given tender coconut water to keep them cool during drought conditions. But you cannot give monkeys apple juice if they were bred in captivity.
The primary reason is that apple juice has high sugar content, which is an unhealthy amount for monkeys to consume at once.
Additionally, there are several chemicals in the apple juice that can cause the monkey digestive distress.
Hence, even if the monkeys are bred in captivity and live in a zoo in tropical regions, it is best not to give them products like apple juice.
Do urban monkeys eat apples?
The urban monkeys are usually omnivores, meaning they can survive on animal and plant-based diets.
Therefore, if you plan to give the monkeys living near your garden or backyard any food, you can offer them apples.
These creatures will love to eat these fruits since they are not too picky.
Urban monkeys usually do not get sufficient food to eat and often take to scavenging.
But you need to be careful as they are usually aggressive because of their high sugar and unhealthy diet. It makes them hyperactive and dangerous.
Are monkeys bred in captivity given apples?
According to quartz, when monkeys are bred in captivity they have to be given food that mimics the food that they will get in the wild.
Hence, zookeepers often give them bananas, mangoes and apples to get all the necessary nutrition that they would have gotten in the wild.
Can monkeys survive on a standalone diet of apples?
If you are thinking of the frugivore species of monkeys, you are slightly mistaken if you think that a standalone diet of apples is sufficient to meet the nutritional requirement of the creatures.
Fruit-eating monkeys need different fruits such as coconuts, mangoes, and bananas to get all the minerals, vitamins, and fibres to help them have muscular bodies with healthy immune systems.
If you give such monkeys only apples, it might even result in malnutrition.
Not only will you prevent the creature from meeting its nutritional requirements, but also you will not allow it to satiate its hunger.
Are monkeys dangerous for an apple orchard?
According to https://www.agrifarming.in, monkeys can be pretty dangerous for apple farmers.
Farmers must protect the apples grown from pests, and monkeys can be dangerous as they can eradicate a season’s harvest.
If a hoard of monkeys attacks an apple orchard, they can destroy the fruits, and they are known to chew through the leaves and twigs.
Hence, farmers are known to take precautionary measures to protect their apple trees from monkeys, especially when the fruits are a few weeks from ripening.
Are apples the favourite fruit of monkeys?
Apples are not the favourite fruit of monkeys. Monkeys indeed like to eat apples, and they are known to take bites off the juicy sweet fruit, but it is not their favourite fruit.
The favourite fruit of monkeys is undoubtedly the banana.
When bred in captivity, frugivore monkeys are given a variety of fruits to meet their nutritional requirement, and apples feature in their diet.
But you will find that they are always given bananas.
What are the nutrients present in apples that are healthy for monkeys?
Apples are rich in fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
When the monkeys are bred in captivity, it is necessary to ensure they get minerals, vitamins, and proteins to develop strong bones and a robust immune system.
At the same time, the calorie intake of the monkeys needs to be monitored as the movement of the creature is limited.
Therefore, zookeepers often give monkeys apples to supplement their diet as these provide the necessary nutrition and are low in calories.
What should you keep in mind when giving apples to monkeys?
The most important thing about giving monkeys apples is ensuring the fruit is pesticide-free.
You need to acquire the apples from a farm that grows the fruit organically.
The second thing to remember is to ensure that the seeds inside the apples are removed.
Apple seeds contain cyanide which can be toxic for monkeys.
Cut the apples into small pieces and remove the seeds before giving them to the monkeys.
Interested in learning more about what animals eat apples? Check out our article for more information.
