Zookeeper Licks Monkey's Butt to Save Its Life

05/03/2012

I have no idea if this story is true or just a joke, but it's being reported on several news sites and blogs, and it's too bizarre not to share here.

According to chinasmack.com, it all started when keepers allowed a young Francois' Leaf Monkey into a public exhibit.  Zoo visitors in their ignorance tossed peanuts at the monkeys, and this particular little guy decided to gobble a down a whole peanut.

Unfortunately, it was more than his little digestive tract could handle and by the next day he was sick. What the monkey's keeper did next, you won't believe:

"50-year-old Zhang Bangsheng used warm water to clean a small Francois’ Leaf Monkey’s buttocks, then began using his mouth to lick it, not stopping for over an hour, until the little monkey defecated a single peanut. Only after the peanut was defecated did Zhang Bangsheng laugh with satisfaction."

Bet you weren't expecting THAT! I'm just glad Mr. Bangsheng wasn't laughing during the process, 'cause that would've been creepy.

It is true that many mammal mothers use this trick to stimulate their babies to go to the bathroom, so technically it was a biologically accurate thing to do.  Whether or not it was the only option or the most sanitary thing to do is a completely different question.

Here's a photo of Mr. Bangsheng and lucky (?) monkey:

Story and photo via chinaSMACK via Gawker. 

 

Comments

[Kelsey]

That's definitely not the only way to get a young animal to defecate. I had to do it to really young puppies and I just used a moist towelette and that works just fine.

[mike]

Gives totally new meaning to the phrase "Kiss My AZZ", doesn't it? LOL

[Madlogic]

If a** kissing ever earned someone a promotion, it should be THIS guy.

[helmi]

what ever reason ..ermmphh do what u want ..if u feel happy about it..ermm no comment no more...

[Fredrick G]

"At easy"

[Lee Crane]

Wouldn't a responsible journalist bother to verify the information before spreading it further? I don't think a disclaimer that "I don't know if this is true, but..." qualifies as due diligence. Granted, this is "just" an animal article but that shouldn't grant license to spread stories that may be untrue.

[David Mizejewski]

Thanks for your comment Lee. This is a fun, light-hearted blog focusing on odd animal stories, not a hard news site. As I mentioned in the post, I did see the story on several other sites, and while I cannot verify 100% that is true, the possibility of it being so was worthy of sharing it here. As I also mentioned in the post, the behavior the zookeeper was mimicking is certainly a biologically accurate way of dealing with a constipated baby mammal.

If it ends up being a joke, that's fair game for this blog too. Should I find out that's the case, I will definitely update the post to make the correction. In the meantime, I hope you can appreciate (the admittedly juvenile) humor in the story.

[Hannah]

What a weird story. I'm just glad the monkey is okay

[XXl]

I've hear he eats 80 peanuts a week.

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[marcelino]

that´s a good notice that even in the zoo the zookeepers do everything to save the animals life. I hope this teachs us to know that even a small life like an animal it can be saved no matter what happens.

[Pepe]

I think that history is grat because the zookeeper save the life to an animal i think because the zookeeper love taht animal so he save the life of the monkey

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[Paola]

¿No sería un periodista responsable se molestó en verificar la información antes de extenderse aún más? No creo que una advertencia de que "no sé si esto es cierto, pero ..." califica como la debida diligencia. Por supuesto, esto es "sólo" un artículo de los animales, pero que no se debe conceder la licencia para difundir historias que pueden ser falsas

[Cheetah]

Tarzan used to toss my salad all the time. It made Jane crazy jealous.

[lil deb]

Obviously he does not have children. you do not have to use your tongue to do this...warm water and a soft cloth works. True or not, zoo keepers....remember that!

[jack sprat]

PRANKED!! See a photo. Write a caption. Run with it.

[monkey butt]

Anyone else see a resemblance between the "keeper" and Ed Koch???

[p smith]

Sorry folks,,but if licking that monkeys butt was the only way it survive ,,,GOOD BY MONKEY,,

[sigh]

The punchline to this is always..."he saved him with the hindlick manoever."

bad-da-bam.

[Temecko Wilson]

LMBO! I agree, if licking a monkey's buttock is the only way to save it, then good bye monkey! LOL, that's very disgusting!

[Jacques Strap]

If the story involves a zoo in a country with less than hygienic people, protracted analingis, bestiality, a monkey and an old asian guy, AND the story is making the rounds in all the seedy areas on the internet, and this fine site, then of course its gotta be true. LMAO.

[FloppyJunk]

BUT... did the zoo keeper eat the peanut???

[radhi]

hahaha...that interesting..we also save monkeys but thru mobile game....and the hero is Proboscis monkey! help us to help them and support the primates in different ways.....check out The Dutchman game in android and appstore. We are looking for labels to promote the extinction primates!

[Terri]

That's pretty gross. I'm sure there had to be other tricks he could have used to get him to defecate. That could be a mating ritual in the monkey world. He probably thinks they're engaged now.