Topic analysis

Gibraltar’s monkeys eat mud ‘to avoid upset stomachs from tourist junk food’

Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that Barbary macaques in Gibraltar engage in geophagy (soil-eating) as a likely coping mechanism to alleviate digestive issues caused by consuming large amounts of junk food from tourists and locals. The behavior peaks during tourist season, is learned within troops, and is absent in a group isolated from visitors, though there are concerns about potential pollutants in the soil the monkeys eat.