A bizarre monkey with a “penis-shaped” nose has gone viral on social media . . . but nobody is quite sure why.
The Proboscis Monkey is one of nature’s more bizarre-looking beasts, and has the unfortunate honour of having a super long nose that sort of looks like male genitalia. And not only that, but it makes the oddest noise you’ve ever heard.
Yet for some reason, Instagram and TikTok has been filling up with random viral videos of the beast, but nobody has been able to figure out why.
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(Image: ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Mainly being posted by random Chinese accounts with very few followers, the clips show a close up of the monkey sitting around, while making it’s “HA” noise. The videos are filled with comments from confused social media users, with one writing: “This is the most random-looking thing I’ve ever seen and have no idea why it’s appeared on my feed.”
And another questioned: “Great, a penis money . . . but why?” A third raged: “Why on Earth has this appeared while I’m scrolling? Although it is cute in the most creepy way.” Nobody has been able to figure out why, as it doesn’t tally with the usual “it’s the algorithm” claim that social media experts normally trot out.
(Image: Getty Images)
One expert, speaking anonymously, told us that it could actually be some kind of phishing scam – where a users data could potentially be stolen – but the videos don’t have external links to any content, so it also seems unlikely. However, until the mystery is solved, it seems as though many people are loving seeing the weird monkey.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
So here are some facts about it, provided by a National Geographic spokesman and, presumably, expert.
“Proboscis monkeys are endemic to the jungles of Borneo, never straying far from the island’s rivers, coastal mangroves, and swamps. They are a highly arboreal species and will venture onto land only occasionally to search for food.
(Image: Getty Images)
“They live in organized harem groups consisting of a dominant male and two to seven females and their offspring. Various groups often congregate near water at night to sleep.
“Among the largest of Asia’s monkeys, male proboscis specimens can reach 50 pounds, although females attain only about half that size. Adults wear a coat of light brown fur that turns red around the head and shoulders and gray at the arms, legs, and tail. Only males develop the namesake nose.”
The word proboscis actually means long nose, or “elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible”.
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