Phoenix Zoo monkeys get special Thanksgiving feast

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - It's a family affair in Monkey Village at the Phoenix Zoo. Zoogoers couldn't help but be amused, wondering what kind of guest would behave this way at a Thanksgiving feast.

"I mean, yeah, swinging from the chandelier, look at them hanging upside down to eat their food," one person said. "That is so funny."

The 14 squirrel monkeys, two males and 12 females, dug in.

"They're trying to eat the flowers, I think they're going to dump it," another person said.

Senior keeper of primates, Amy Dietz says the monkeys usually eat fruits, vegetables, and seeds. This feat is a special treat.

"It's their regular diet, but we formulate it to look a little more like a Thanksgiving feast," she said. "They're going to have a turkey, they're going to have a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, salad, the works. They love that there is something different going on. They've been inside watching us get everything out here, so they're ready to come out and see what we are doing."

Zoo keepers here say they have done this for a number of years and the squirrel monkeys just love the feast.