Monkey Day (December 14): Fun Facts, History & Ideas

Curious, clever, playful and sometimes mischievous — monkeys are among the most fascinating animals on the planet. Monkey Day, celebrated every December 14, is a fun day to enjoy everything monkey-related and to learn about the real threats facing primates in the wild.

Monkey Day facts
Date	December 14 every year
Started	2000
Created by	Art students Casey Sorrow and Eric Millikin at Michigan State University
How it began	Sorrow jokingly wrote “Monkey Day” on a friend’s calendar
Hashtags	#MonkeyDay #InternationalMonkeyDay

How a Joke Became a Holiday

In 2000, Casey Sorrow scribbled “Monkey Day” onto a calendar as a joke. He and fellow artist Eric Millikin celebrated it with friends and featured it in their comics. The idea spread online, and today zoos, schools and animal charities around the world use the day to raise awareness about primates.

Monkeys vs. Apes: What’s the Difference?

Feature	Monkeys	Apes
Tail	Most have tails	No tail
Size	Generally smaller	Generally larger
Movement	Run along branches	Swing from arm to arm (brachiation) or walk
Examples	Macaques, capuchins, baboons, howler monkeys	Gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, bonobos

Old World and New World Monkeys

Group	Where they live	Key features	Examples
Old World monkeys	Africa and Asia	Narrow, downward nostrils; tails are not grasping	Baboons, macaques, colobus, rhesus monkeys
New World monkeys	Central and South America	Wide, flat noses; some have grasping (prehensile) tails	Capuchins, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, marmosets

Amazing Monkey Facts

• There are more than 260 species of monkeys.
• Howler monkeys are among the loudest land animals — their calls can be heard several kilometres away.
• The smallest monkey, the pygmy marmoset, can fit in your hand.
• Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) relax in hot springs in winter.
• Capuchins use stones as tools to crack nuts.
• Bangladesh is home to rhesus macaques, capped langurs and the endangered Phayre’s langur.

Primates in Danger

Scientists estimate that around 60% of primate species are threatened with extinction and about three-quarters have declining populations, mainly because of deforestation, hunting and the illegal pet trade.

Ways to Celebrate Monkey Day

1. Visit an accredited zoo or primate sanctuary.
2. Watch a wildlife documentary about primates.
3. Adopt a monkey symbolically through a conservation charity.
4. Choose products with sustainable palm oil to protect rainforests.
5. Draw a monkey cartoon, as the founders did!

👉 More animal days: Animal & pet observances

👉 Also December 14: Martyred Intellectuals Day (Bangladesh)

Monkeys Around the World

Monkey	Where it lives	Fun fact
Japanese macaque	Japan	Lives farther north than any other non-human primate
Proboscis monkey	Borneo	Males have long, droopy noses
Mandrill	Central Africa	The largest monkey, with bright red and blue faces
Golden snub-nosed monkey	China	Lives in cold mountain forests
Squirrel monkey	South America	Small, fast and very social
Hanuman langur	South Asia, including Bangladesh and India	Considered sacred in Hindu tradition

Monkeys in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is home to several primates, including the rhesus macaque, the capped langur, the Phayre’s langur, the pig-tailed macaque and the western hoolock gibbon (an ape). Many of them live in the hill forests of Sylhet and Chittagong, and in protected areas such as Lawachara National Park. Habitat loss is their biggest threat.

Monkey Day Activity Ideas for Kids

• Draw or paint your favourite monkey.
• Learn to tell monkeys from apes.
• Make banana-based snacks.
• Read a picture book about monkeys.
• Visit a zoo’s primate house and count how many species you see.

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