Ryan Greenberg

Earlier I wrote about toucans in my post about the unusual sights of Chiquitania, but this monkey was so interesting it merits its own mention. I saw him when when we stopped at a gas station; he lives behind the station in a cage about 8 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter. Watching him move about the cage was just fascinating—he used his hands, feet, and tail to move about with such agility. He was clearly unhappy in the cage, apart from the times when people gave him their leftover Snickers wrappers. I could tell he was an intelligent animal after watching him for just a few minutes. I watched him reach outside his cage and try to untwist the wires that kept him captive. When that didn’t work, he picked up a piece of glass from the ground and rubbed it against the wires. Smart monkey. And a shame that he’s stuck in a small cage. I think he looks sad in this photo because he is.

If you need a laugh, look how the monkey gets his water. It really it water—I promise.