Q&A
THE PROBOSCIS MONKEY
NATURE’S WEIRDEST CREATURES
GETTY IMAGES X2
“PROBOSCIS MONKEYS ARE REMARKABLY CHILLED – THEY’RE NOT VERY TERRITORIAL AND RARELY FIGHT”
With its big, bulbous hooter, the proboscis monkey is one of the most recognisable primates in the world. In the past, it was said that their noses were so big, they had to hold them to one side to eat, but this isn’t true. They eat just fine.
Endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo, these Old World monkeys are social and easygoing. They live in troops; harem troops contain a large, dominant male with his females and their youngsters, while bachelor troops are made up of males with the occasional female.