On Monday, the Chinese kicked off their New Year and with it officially started The Year Of The Monkey. The New Year celebrations are taken very seriously in China, and this year some citizens have taken it to a new level. Wealthy Chinese are now buying miniature monkeys to have as pets. The crazy thing is that they are paying up to $4,500 for them.
Rich Chinese People are Buying This Illegal Thumb-sized Monkey for $4,500 https://t.co/mWkIbnApDo pic.twitter.com/yuYoAY2zvi
— HockeyFan (@Dav3403) February 11, 2016
Pygmy marmosets, as they are officially known, are the world’s smallest primate. They only weight 4 ounces and can leap 16 feet! The only problem is that the monkeys are on the endangered species list and it’s illegal to sell them in China because they are considered exotic pets.
Chinese celebrate the monkey by buying actual "thumb" monkeys https://t.co/cZs3bHPLH3 @MailOnline #AnimalCruelty pic.twitter.com/eMgD6KMXTZ
— i am a metal_monkey_ (@metal_monkey_) February 11, 2016
According to the Chinese news site People’s Daily Online, buyers in China are paying 30,000 yuan ($4,500) for the animals. They have become so popular they even have a new nickname – thumb monkeys.
H/T Hello Giggles