Monkey Business
Staff at the Uluwatu temple in Bali, Indonesia, have always warned tourists to beware of pickpocketing monkeys roaming the area.
The long-tailed macaques are notorious for stealing things from unsuspecting visitors and holding onto them until they are given some food as a ransom payment.
Now, scientists have discovered that the monkeys have become smarter in their thievery and are targeting items that their victims would value the most, according to the Guardian.
In their study, lead author Jean-Baptiste Leca and his team recorded the animals’ behavior for more than 270 days.
They reported that the macaques would go after important valuables, such as electronics or prescription glasses to coax the tourists into giving them food. The team also noted that the mischievous monkeys were tough negotiators when it came to returning the goods.
In one instance, it took 25 minutes – including 17 minutes of bargaining – for staff and tourists to persuade the macaque to return one item.
Leca pointed out that this peculiar behavior is learned at a young age and marks an expression of cultural intelligence on the part of the monkeys.
“These behaviors are socially learned and have been maintained across generations of monkeys for at least 30 years in this population,” he said.
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