International Monkey Day: Did you know the day was started as a prank a decade ago?

December 14 is celebrated as International Monkey Day as it celebrates ‘all things simians’ and raises awareness about different monkeys and primates all across the world. Also termed as Monkey Day or World Monkey Day, the day also celebrates various non-human primates like apes, lemurs. Various environmental activists use this day to spread awareness about issues that these creatures face. As per the reports by daysoftheyear, various supporters of the day include the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre Museum, London’s National Portrait Gallery, National Geographic, Greenpeace, and Jane Goodall. 

International Monkey Day History 

The day initially started as a prank back in the year 2000 after an art student at Michigan State University, Casey Sorrow, ended up writing “Monkey Day” on his friend’s calendar as a joke. However, later, Sorrow collaborated with various fellow MSU students on the Fetus-X comic strip. Sorrow till date manages to contribute to the idea of primate welfare. He currently maintains a monkey day website and a blog called “Monkeys in the News”. The blog discusses primate-related news from across the world. Also, it comes out with a list of the top ten primate-related news stories from the past year every Monkey Day.

Read: Video: Tiger Cub Carries Monkey On Its Back, Netizens Wonder 'where's Their Momma?'

Monkey Day is now celebrated in different parts of the globe. Some of these countries include Scotland, Turkey, Thailand, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Pakistan, India, Germany, and Canada. Various people dress up like monkeys on this day and do their part. Some people also make an effort to visit the zoo as few zoos hold special celebrations for the day. There are also places which hold special events about monkeys. At the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the authorities raise awareness about the different dangers that primates face by using monkey storytelling. In Turkey, monkey day events are held at The Faruk Yalçın Zoo and Botanical Park in Darıca. In India, at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, a number of different events are held so that children become aware about the issues that the wildlife is facing. Netizens took to Twitter this year and made a few tweets. Let's have a look:

Read: Kerala Polls: Solving 'monkey Menace' Can Make You Win Municipal Elections In Wayanad

Read: Fishermen Save 'fatigued' Monkey From Drowning In Brazil | Watch

Also Read: Monkey Trend Floods Twitter; Anand Mahindra Takes Part By Starting A Caption Competition

(Image Credits: Pixabay)