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Monkeys have been stealing valuables, including phones and wallets, from tourists at a popular temple in Bali, Indonesia. The long-tailed macaques have been trading stolen items for food rewards from humans for decades.
Around 600 monkeys live at Bali’s Uluwatu Temple, which overlooks the Indian Ocean. The macaques are considered sacred guardians of the Hindu temple, dating back to around the 10th or 11th century.
Especially clever monkeys can differentiate between valuable items to humans, such as phones and glasses, and items of little value like hair clips and hats.
Monkeys have “unprecedented economic decision-making processes,” according to a team of researchers at the University of Lethbridge.
Uluwatu Temple’s theft incidents often require the help of monkey handlers, who trade fruit with the monkeys for stolen goods. The animals steal dozens of items from tourists each week, including five to ten smartphones every day.
Every year, more than 5 million people visit Bali, treasure its stunning landscapes, and encounter mischievous monkeys all at once.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/monkeys-running-scam-sacred-temple-frustrated-tourists-say-phone-thefts
