Why do we make monkeys do the things we do?

When I was a child, my mother always told me to treat others as you would want to be treated. Then later on in life I had a friend who always told me, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Both of these statements lead us to conclude that we should treat people fairly.

However, do these same values transfer to the animal kingdom? What about animals that humans especially identify with, like monkeys? Why do we find it so funny when monkeys do the things that we do? Is it fair to dress a monkey in human clothes and make them do the things that we do everyday?

Observe the video and discuss. Leave a comment if you wish.

Watch MONKEY RIDING A SEGWAY ON JAPANESE TELEVISION!  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

What do you get when you cross a monkey with a robot?

Science continues to amaze me. Just when the impossible seems out of reach, science pulls through and dissects the human genome, or finds yet another use for chocolate. For example, check out what happens when a monkey is crossed with a robot.

Cutest monkey ever?

Isn't this the cutest monkey ever?

Do monkeys make good pets?

The great poet Maya Angelou once wrote a poem entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and in those magnificent lines she describes the pain and longing of the disenfranchised.

After reading up on the recent monkey-related tragedy involving Travis (see photo) from Connecticut, I immediately hearkened back to the immortal words of Ms. Angelou. "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream / his wings are clipped and his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing." Inevitably it also led me to today's question--do monkey's make good pets?

According to neighbors, Travis was a friendly figure with a good disposition. Allegedly he liked to partake in a good steak with a side of Merlot, ride in his owner's truck and act in commercials for major corporations. Also, he wore a diaper. These observations would lead us to believe that Travis had the make-up of a good pet. And as he was a chimpanzee, this would also lead us to believe that yes, monkeys do make good pets.

However, Webster's dictionary defines a pet as "a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility," and if Travis was truly kept for pleasure and not for use, than what purpose did he serve? Perhaps it was this loss of dignity and freedom that made Travis open his throat and sing.

Is there a lesson to be learned in this tragedy? There is--monkeys do not make good pets. Case closed.

Do monkeys have a sense of humor?

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said, “No mind is thoroughly well organized that is deficient in a sense of humor." Which I'm pretty sure means that if you can't laugh, you probably can't think either. If we are to make the argument that monkeys are rational creatures, then shouldn't they also make us laugh? Examine the video and discuss.

A four-banana salute to June for the video tip.

Do monkeys really eat bananas?

It seems like every cartoon, video game or movie that features monkeys portrays them as banana-eaters. Is this really true or is it a Hollywood myth? Certainly bananas are good for people--but are they good for monkeys? Let's peel this down to the source.

According to the San Diego Zoo, a monkey's diet consists of flowers, fruits, nuts, leaves, seeds, insects, birds’ eggs, spiders, and small mammals. While it doesn't explicitly say that monkeys eat bananas, it does say that monkeys eat "fruits." As bananas are found in the wild and share ecosystems with monkeys, and a banana is classified as a fruit, one can logically presume that a monkey would eat a banana.

Case closed.

Why do people like monkeys?

One reason I think that people like monkeys is because they seem to show affections just like humans do. Check out the way the squirrel monkey baby clings to its' mother and friends.

Watch Cute and Cuddly Squirrel Monkey Babies  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Do you like monkeys?

Hello, my name is Joel and I love monkeys! They are by far one of my favorite animals. However, there are so many different kinds and so many interesting facts about monkeys that I decided to make a blog about them. This blog will explore the lives of monkeys as well as monkeys in contemporary culture. I hope you find the world of monkeys as interesting as I do!

You can contact me anytime at joel.the.teacher@gmail.com.