Meet Uncle Fat: The Overweight Monkey of Bangkok

The monkey you're seeing in the photos has grown an astonishing belly—all due to the carelessness of tourists visiting Bangkok. 'Uncle Fat'—as he was nicknamed—was known in Bangkok as the leader of the local monkey mafia that roams the streets freely. Thanks to his leadership role, he enjoyed more than just junk food and soft drinks provided by tourists; the other monkeys in his group also hunted food for him.

However, Uncle Fat's life of indulgence came to an end a few weeks ago when concerned locals reported to the local wildlife authority about the fattest monkey they'd ever seen, struggling to drag his belly behind him.

Wildlife officials set out on a hunt, and on April 27, they managed to capture 'Uncle Fat.' It wasn't easy: "Because he was the leader, when we tried to take him, we had to fight the rest of his mafia with sticks," one worker told the AP news agency. The workers also described how the other monkeys 'worked' for Uncle Fat, bringing him food all hours of the day. To his credit, he always made sure to share some of the food with the younger monkeys.

Uncle Fat is now at a Thai wildlife facility and is on a special diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and a bit of lean meat. He's allowed only two meals a day. The hope is that he'll soon lose enough weight to avoid the looming threat of heart disease, allowing him to be released back into the wild.

Meanwhile, Uncle Fat remains overweight, and daily messages of empathy pour in for him from around the world. "In one way or another, we're all a bit like Uncle Fat..." wrote one social media commenter, receiving enthusiastic agreements.