Czech Republic Zoo visitors allegedly fed monkeys with chocolate
A group of visitors allegedly pulled the tails of monkeys and fed them chocolate. The zoo concerned in Zlin in the Czech Republic has posted a video on social networks - also as a warning to others.
12.05.2025, 11:07
SDA
The behavior of a group of visitors to a zoo's tropical pavilion has caused outrage in the Czech Republic. A group of white-headed sakis, a type of monkey, apparently had to put up with a lot there. "They not only fed the animals, but also touched them, stroked them and pulled their tails," said the zoo in Zlin. The zoo posted a video of the incident on social media and called on visitors to provide information about the suspected perpetrators. White-headed sakis are native to north-eastern South America.
Reminder of the fatal incident
"Hot dogs, chips, cookies and chocolate have no place on the animals' menu", warned a zoo spokesperson. Consuming these foods could lead to serious health problems for the animals. In extreme cases, the animals could even die. Chocolate is particularly dangerous. The spokesperson recalled a tragic incident in 2009, when a white-headed saki cub died after zoo guests fed it unsuitable food.
Some are now wondering whether additional keepers could have prevented the latest incident. "So many people come to us, especially on public holidays, that we can't guard everything - neither with cameras nor with people on site," zoo director Roman Horsky told the newspaper "MF Dnes". Completed in 2006, the tropical pavilion is the pride of the zoo in Zlin. Most of the animals move around freely in the hall. The city of Zlin has around 74,000 inhabitants and is located around 250 kilometers south-east of Prague.
