A morbidly obese macaque named Godzilla who gorged on treats offered by passers-by in Bangkok, Thailand, succumbed to a myriad of weight-related illnesses at the tender age of six.

On May 6th, Godzilla breathed his last breath at the Crystal Pet Hospital in Bangkok as his master held its tiny hand in his. However, the man and his family are facing criticism for killing the young macaque with kindness, indulging his addiction to sweets and other fattening treats, and turning him into a popular attraction at their market stall. Tourists would pass by the vest-wearing primate and feed him all kinds of junk food, which led to him ballooning to over 19 kilograms, more than double the weight of an average macaque. Sadly, his condition never really improved after he was taken away, and a number of obesity-induced illnesses eventually claimed his life.

Macaques can live up to 37 years in captivity, but Godzilla died at only 6 years old. Then again, he suffered from diabetes, thyroid disease, and Cushing’s Syndrome, all due to his unhealthy diet of sweets and sugary syrup drinks. People loved watching him eat and would bring him all kinds of treats to his owners market stall. You could say they killed him with their kindness.

Godzilla’s owners claimed to have adopted him as their pet after the macaque’s parents were killed by a car and he was abandoned by the previous owner. Despite knowing that keeping a macaque as a pet was illegal, they kept Godzilla tied up at their meatball market stall where he eventually became a tourist attraction.

After being taken by authorities three years ago, Godzilla had to undergo a ‘fat camp’ at a wildlife center in Chachoengsao province where he was fed a healthier diet. His family was initially forbidden from seeing him, but they were eventually permitted to interact with him and were by his side even in his final moments.

 

“We are so sad that he has gone. He was like our family. We saved him when he was abandoned and treated him well,” Godzilla’s former owner said. “He should never have been taken away from his home as he loved eating what we gave him.”

Godzilla’s tragic story is reminiscent of that of Uncle Fatty, another morbidly obese macaque who went viral in 2017 but hasn’t been spotted for five years. He too is believed to have been killed by the kindness of tourists.