Your Vacation Souvenirs Could Be Illegal – Or Just Plain Weird!
Next time you’re on vacation, you might want to think twice about bringing that souvenir seashell, or rock home.
Here’s a fun fact: Turns out humans aren’t the only species to use *AHEM* adult toys. In a new study published by the biology journal Ethology, researchers concluded that some monkeys in Indonesia use stone tools, and rocks.
The monkeys in particular are long-tailed macaques living at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in central Bali. Between 2016 and 2019, researchers observed over 170 monkeys — male and female, juvenile and adult. They found that both male and female (and young and adult) monkeys tapped and rubbed stones on their, umm – particularly sensitive areas – for pleasure. This behavior supported the study’s “adult toy” hypothesis – that these monkeys use stones as a sort-of, well yes – adult toys!
Monkeys don’t JUST use stones for fun, of course. Over the years, different researchers in Panama suspected monkeys had entered a “stone age” of their own, by using stones to assist with obtaining food, and for survival. Thus – in my humble opinion – proving they are even SMARTER than us humans, because one device does it ALL!
Now, monkey toys don’t appear to be an illegal item to bring home from your trip to Bali, but you probably just wouldn’t want to.
Many of us already know that it’s illegal to bring certain things home. And there are numerous souvenirs you might not realize are putting you at risk. A good place to start is to ask these questions:
- What is this product made of?
- Where is it from?
- Do I need a permit to bring it home?
Items that actually ARE ILLEGAL to bring home from other countries:
-Elephant and Seal Ivory
-Rhino Horns
-Tiger Products
-Sea Turtles
-Sea Horses
-Coral
-Bird Feathers
-Snake Wine- is often made by drowning a live snake in alcohol. Very dangerous -every once in a while, the snake doesn’t die, wakes, and bites the person drinking it. Also may carry parasites.
So be it an apparently legal “monkey toy,” or something else, make sure you do a little research before you stick that conch shell in your bag.
-Carla Rea
