Godzilla, the obese, vest-wearing monkey who gorged on chocolate and junk food, died, and the rescued macaque’s remains were returned to his owner, who held his hand as he passed away.
The huge macaque suffered a host of weight-related illnesses before his death at Crystal Pet Hospital in Thailand on May 6.
Wildlife officials have accused the family of killing the monkey with kindness, feeding it junk food whenever it wanted and allowing it to become a tourist attraction at their Bangkok market stall.
The famous primate was taken off the market three years ago because officials were concerned about his health and placed him in a “fat camp,” where he was put on a rigorous diet.
But the health kick failed to save Godzilla, and he was reunited with his owner as he lay in the hospital, who cared for him in his final days.
The remains of the rescued macaque were returned to its owner, who held his hand as he died.
The primate was placed in a “fat camp” three years ago, where he was put on a rigorous diet.
Godzilla weighed 19 kg (41.9 lb), almost twice the standard weight of normal macaques, before being rescued from a market in Bangkok in 2021.
Godzilla was just six years old, a fraction of the lifespan of his species, which can live up to 37 years in captivity.
Hospital director Dr. Supasek Sarachitti said Godzilla had thyroid disease, diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome, or overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, all of which contributed to shortening his life expectancy.
Dr. Supasek said after the beloved monkey’s death: “Let’s send Godzilla to heaven.”
‘I told you many years ago that you may not live long because of your illnesses. He was at risk of having a heart attack.
‘Your owner came to take care of you every day, until this day finally came. You passed away peacefully in the arms of your owner.
The family was prohibited from seeing Godzilla while he recovered, but were later granted visitation rights due to their perseverance in seeing him. His condition never improved.
His bloated body has been cremated and returned to his previous carer, Manop Emsan, from whom he was taken three years ago.
Manop, who maintains that the monkey was treated well, said: “Godzilla’s ashes have been collected.” The undertaker said that his bones were very white.
The huge macaque suffered a host of weight-related illnesses before his death at Crystal Pet Hospital in Thailand on May 6.
Godzilla was only six years old, a fraction of the lifespan of his species, which can live up to 37 years in captivity.
Manop and his family were eventually allowed to visit Godzilla and interact with him in the pool.
Godzilla became known for the tight-fitting T-shirts his owner wore.
‘We are very sad that he is gone. She was like our family. We saved him when he was abandoned and treated him well.
“He should never have been taken out of his house because he loved to eat what I gave him.”
Godzilla weighed 19 kg (41.9 lb), almost twice the standard weight of normal macaques, before being rescued from a market in Bangkok in 2021.
Authorities found him chained and bloated, and passersby inadvertently harmed him by giving him high-sugar treats such as fruits, nuts, chocolate and sweet drinks.
He was then sent to a “fat camp” at a wildlife center in Chachoengsao province, where he was put on a strict diet of dill, lettuce, crickets, worms, sunflower seeds and other nutritious foods.
Manop and his family were eventually allowed to visit Godzilla and interact with him in the pool.
They claimed they initially took him in when his parents were killed by a car when he was a baby and a previous owner had abandoned him.
Godzilla rose to fame after a video of him tied to a post in Bangkok’s Min Buri district went viral.
Buyers regularly crowded the stall where the monkey sat trying to feed him, andhThis diet consisted of fruits and nuts, as well as unhealthy sweets and sugary syrup drinks.
It also became known for the tight-fitting T-shirts its owner wore.
Despite it being illegal under the country’s wildlife laws, the family kept the monkey as a pet and allowed it to eat snacks all day while they operated their dumpling stand.
However, officials from the Office of Wildlife Conservation stated that Godzilla would not be returned to the family because keeping him as a pet is illegal.
Furthermore, releasing him into the wild was not an option as he would struggle to survive on his own as he had been spoiled and unable to fend for himself.
The situation sparked controversy, with Manop’s supporters believing that the authorities should allow him to keep Godzilla.
Godzilla (pictured) was being held by a vendor in Bangkok’s Min Buri district, where visitors gathered to see the monkey and try to feed it.
Uncle Fatty was a wild monkey whose size increased after gorging on junk food from passers-by in Thailand in 2017.
They argued that he treated him like family and could continue to do so with guidance from officials.
However, some also believed that keeping wildlife as pets is illegal and that allowing visitation rights was a reasonable compromise.
Godzilla’s case has been compared to that of another macaque in Thailand called ‘Uncle Fatty’, who reached a whopping 27kg (60lb) after being ‘kindly killed’ by locals.
Uncle Fatty is believed to have been eaten to death as he has not been seen since 2019.