Gibraltar Barbary macaques are noshing on junk food and soil to counter cravings—wild diet shift catching researchers’ attention about Macaca sylvanus.
Research from Cambridge has found that Gibraltar's Barbary macaques are eating soil to buffer their digestive systems against high-calorie, low-fiber snacks brought by tourists. The behavior increases during peak holiday seasons and is linked to their contact with humans. The study highlights how primates adapt to human influence.