Monkeys Eating Jell-O

The keepers at the Bronx Zoo fed the squirrel monkeys Jell-O for a "holiday treat." Jello-O is not a typical food for squirrel monkeys, who had trouble managing to eat the Jell-O with their hands. The monkeys eventually figured it out, enjoying both the Jell-O and the blueberries which were hidden inside the blue geatin dessert. The escapade was uploaded to YouTube by the Wildlife Conservation Society in a segment entitled Jell-O Enrichment for Squirrel Monkeys at the Bronx Zoo. The Zoo described the Jell-O as "a jiggly concoction that immediately stimulates their foraging (instincts)."http://www.bronxzoo.com/look-and-learn/videos/jello-monkey.aspx

While fruit, like blueberries, is a normal part of a wild squirrel monkey's diet, Jell-O is not normally eaten by squirrel monkeys. Wild squirrel monkeys usually eat insects, leaves and seeds, in addition to fruit. Recommended foods for squirrel monkeys in captivity include sweet potato, corn, green beans, turnip, mango, apple, banana, peanuts, sunflower seeds, hard-boiled eggs, wheat bread, mealworms, crickets, and grasshoppers. Captive squirrel monkeys also generally need vitamin supplements as well.http://www.primatecare.com/sdiet.htm