Video of macaques washing and brushing. (VIDEO) Dartmouth College This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. Caption Dominant macaques briefly brushed cucumber slices from the experimental setup on their fur before eating them, along with a mouthful of tooth-degrading sand. Lower-ranked macaques carried their slices to the ocean and washed them obsessively before eating. The macaques picked up their habit of washing food after the 2004 tsunami. Afterward, tourists would throw fruit from boats to watch the animals food-wash, but the government put a stop to the practice. Credit Jessica Rosien Usage Restrictions N/A License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.