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Story summary
- Gibraltar’s Barbary macaques have begun eating soil more frequently after consuming tourists’ junk food.
- Researchers recorded 46 geophagy events among the 230 macaques from August 2022 to April 2024, mainly in tourist areas during summer peak.
- Lead author Sylvain Lemoine said the clay-rich soil may neutralize stomach acidity, bind toxins, and alter gut microbes.
- The team warned the findings could discourage illegal feeding but might also tempt visitors to provoke soil-eating.
