THESE beautiful monkeys are recovering from diabetes with the help of a British couple – after being rescued from owners who fed them on platefuls of fast food.

The cute primates developed serious health problems after becoming fast food junkies through being fed a constant diet of Big Macs, Kentucky Fried Chicken and sugary deserts like ice cream and doughnuts.

Some were kept in BIRD CAGES with only TV sets for company while their owners went out to work during the day

Please feed me – the monkeys are now being cared for at Jungle Friends

One monkey had even been allowed to get STONED on drugs – before being rescued when the authorities raided a house suspected of containing marijuana.

The creatures are now on the mend at a sanctuary in Gainesville, Florida called Jungle Friends, which has called in British diabetes experts Carol and Andrew West.

Health

The couple run a health retreat in Spain called Obsidian Retreat, which helps human diabetics via a special diet. They have now worked with Jungle Friends to create special biscuits and juices for the monkeys.

Andrew says that primates kept as pets in the USA are often treated in bizarre ways by their owners.

He said: “They dress them in children’s clothes and feed them western food from McDonald’s to KFC.  They have teeth removed to stop them biting and some have fingers removed to stop them scratching.”

Jungle Friends cares for several different breeds of monkey including capuchins, of which 11 are diabetic.

Andrew said: “The effects of type 2 diabetes are rapid with the monkeys due to their size and their constitution.  It quickly effects their circulation, their eyesight and their temperament.

“But the change to a healthier diet both in food form and juicing form means reversal can also be rapid.”

A chunky monkey that has now been rescued

Kari Bagnall, founder of Jungle Friends, said: “The monkeys are social creatures like we are and they want to be friends and have peer play.

“They are stolen from their mothers as early as three days old and they aren’t living in the proper way and getting the proper foods that they should be.”

Kari says the way the monkeys are treated by their owners causes the creatures health problems like stress, obesity and diabetes.

She said: “Typically, they put them in a bird cage and off to work they go. They turn on the TV set for the monkey and give them some ice cream or some hot dogs or something else horrible to eat, and then they wonder why they are diabetic.

“It’s a sedentary lifestyle with no exercise.  Without another monkey to groom them – which reduces stress – they don’t even have that to enjoy.”

Thankfully – these chunky monkeys are now on the mend!

Kari (left) with Andrew and Carol at Jungle Friends.