Monkeys had a flippin' good time as keepers treated them to pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday.

Footage shot by primate keepers at the Port Lymne Reserve in Hythe shows the black capped capuchin monkeys grabbing fistfuls of the fried treats before devouring them.

It made a change from their staple diet of fruit and nuts.

Animal manager Simon Jeffery said: "It's very important that our primates have a varied and full diet to provide them with the nourishment that they require to remain healthy.

"Pancake Day gave us the perfect opportunity to offer our capuchins a rare treat of a healthy pancake – although Brian our male capuchin helped himself to a lot of them!"

Black capped capuchin monkeys are native to South America, and enjoy a diet ranging from fruit to eggs and even insects or bats.

Simon said: "These clever primates eat a veritable smorgasbord buffet and are known to consume around one hundred different types of fruit - amongst other things.

"Their natural intelligence and dexterity helps them find new dining opportunities and they are amongst the few species of primate to have been observed using a stone to crack open nuts."