DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) – A Denver Zoo monkey has died of bubonic plague, apparently after eating a squirrel stricken with the disease, Colorado health and zoo officials said Monday.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/21/bubonic.plague.reut/index.html
It’s a beautifully scarey story. I even wrote a poem incorporating it. 
Plague squirrels! 
Not even Richard Adams could dream up anything so sick, so evil, so twisted beyond all bounds of decency. But that’s the way it is with plague animals. You think you know them, you think they care and return your affection, and then suddenly they’re turning their hordes of merciless fleas on you, hunting you relentlessly, infecting you over and over again in a wild, senseless orgy of buboes.
What’s for lunch? 
djm
Fleas.
‘Bubonic Monkey’ – what an excellent name for a band.
Let me guess: they’re the opening act for the [u]Squirrel Nut Zippers[/u].
And their signature song is “Squirrel Heads and Gravy”.
I think I have the Bucolic Plauge.
Its REALLY nice outside today.
ya do look a bit squirrelly
Or the Mighty Squirrel: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=142509889
Do monkeys usually eat squirrels? That seems a bit odd to me.
I think most primates (including people) are primarily or entirely vegetarian, but the occasional bug, egg, slice of cheese or squirrel family isn’t unheard of.
I believe they may be what is known as “opportunistic” feeders.
Dead squirrels would be on page 1 of the menu, since they can’t run away.
Opportunistic omnivore is the key concept here. Jinx!
Not true not all primates and certainly not humans.
Humans choose to not eat meat.
Its not the same thing as not being able to eat it.
We and our closest known genetic relative are, as Rod states, “Opportunistic omnivore”.
Actually Chimps pack hunt other primates and eat them.
Perhaps the very same thing occured with our own primitive ancestors.
Here is a little video.
They do catch the monkee and do eat it as you will see.
(its a little disturbing for the squeemsih)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDFh5JdYh7I
I love me veggies but I won’t ever turn down a steak!
“Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii (Common chimpanzee) This photo shows a female chimpanzee with an infant begging for meat
from the males who have captured a small monkey. Note that her arm is raised, showing the range of shoulder motion common
to primates © 2005 David Bygott”
“Papio anubis (Olive baboon) Notice how this baboon is manipulating his meal
with his mobile thumbs © 2005 David Bygott”
Jared Diamond in his books The Third Chimpanzee and, to a lesser extent, Collapse has some interesting discussions about the hunting practices of early man.
The only primate I’m aware of that is truly herbivorous is the gorilla. Most primates, including our closest relatives the chimp and the bonobo, not only eat meat, but engage in hunting behavior.
We primates are incredibly adaptable…we can live on just about anything.
Now here’s an interesting factoid…there is one animal (not a primate) that is physically a carnivore, but functionally a vegetarian: the Giant Panda. They have the dentition and digestive system of a carnivore, but somehow long ago adapted to a purely herbivorous diet. Funny how nature works, isn’t it?
Redwolf
They have been filmed recently in the wild eating a small deer-like animal.
Gorillas will also eat termites, caterpillars, ants, snails and grubs, although these tidbits are not a large percentage of their diet.