A Clever Monkey Bargains for Fruit with Tourist’s Mobile Phone
Temple in Bali, Indonesia Witnessed Astonishing Exchange
In a fascinating incident that has captivated social media users worldwide, a monkey at a temple in Bali, Indonesia, shocked onlookers by demonstrating a keen sense of negotiation skills. The primate remained unsurprised when offered a single piece of fruit by a woman but promptly abandoned his smartphone when she handed him a second piece. The woman, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, quickly retracted her mobile phone.
Since its release on the 16th, a video capturing this remarkable episode has gone viral on various social media platforms. Within just three days, it garnered an astounding 25 million views. The footage immediately caught the attention of netizens who marveled at the monkey’s ability to engage in a bargaining process.
Commenting on the video, numerous viewers praised the monkey’s intelligence with remarks like, “It’s clever to exploit human desires” and “Are monkeys on the verge of surpassing humans, as depicted in Planet of the Apes?” However, some have expressed concerns that local traders may be training the monkeys to steal from tourists, only to sell them fruit at exorbitant prices.
One individual who shared their experience sums it up by saying, “I could hardly believe my eyes.”
A Similar Encounter Unveils Recurring Behavior Pattern
Moreover, another video has surfaced, depicting a comparable situation involving a monkey snatching a tourist’s glasses and relenting only after being offered a banana. The incident occurred as the tourist was climbing a staircase, with the monkey swiftly appropriating the eyewear from their resting place on a railing. The creature remained motionless, seemingly dissatisfied with the initial food offering, and only relinquished the stolen glasses when it received another piece of fruit. This mirrors the behavior previously demonstrated by the monkey in the initial video.
Experts Reveal Insight into Monkeys’ Remarkable Behavior
Academic experts have examined the monkeys’ actions and posited that they have developed a “predatory culture” through prolonged interactions with humans. Jean-Baptiste Leca, associate professor of psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, explains, “The astute monkeys are targeting objects that humans attach greater value to and are more likely to exchange for food, such as mobile phones, wallets, and glasses, rather than lesser valued items like hairpins or empty camera bags.”
To investigate the complex interaction between the monkeys and temple visitors, a research team from the University of Lethbridge conducted an observational study spanning 273 days. The findings revealed that the monkeys demanded more food when relinquishing valuable items and settled for less compensation when returning low-value possessions. Remarkably, negotiations for higher-valued items extended the encounter duration, occasionally lasting up to 17 to 25 minutes. Rekha from the research team further suggests that this socially acquired behavior has likely been passed down through several generations over the last three decades.
A monkey puts down his mobile phone only after a woman gives him two pieces of fruit. /X
Temple in Bali, Indonesia. A monkey perched precariously on a rail faces a woman. This monkey didn’t even flinch at the one fruit the woman gave him, but when he gave her the second fruit, he put down the smartphone in his hand. The woman made a dumbfounded expression and took her mobile phone away.
This video has been spreading through social media like X (formerly Twitter) since the 16th. The sight of a monkey negotiating with a tourist’s mobile phone as collateral immediately caught the attention of netizens from all over the world.
The video recorded 25 million views within 3 days of being posted. Netizens left comments such as “It’s clever to use things that humans love” and “I’m afraid that a day will come when monkeys will surpass humans like in Planet of the Apes.” On the other hand, there were claims that local traders were training the monkeys to steal from tourists in order to sell fruit at high prices.
One shared his experience saying, “I was able to accept it.”
Another video of a similar situation also appeared. A monkey was filmed taking tourists’ glasses and putting them down only after receiving a banana. At the time, the tourist was climbing the stairs when his glasses were stolen by a monkey sitting on the railing. When someone next to him gave him a piece of food, the monkey remained still as if it was not enough, and only then put his glasses down when another was given to him. This is the same behavior as the monkey in the previous video.
A monkey grabs the glasses worn by tourists. /A monkey puts his glasses down only after receiving food. /X
Experts analyzed that monkeys had acquired a ‘predatory culture’ through long periods of contact with humans. Jean-Baptiste Leca, associate professor of psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, told the Guardian: “Clever monkeys target objects that humans are most likely to exchange for food, rather than items that tourists have less of interested in them, like hairpins. or empty camera bags.” “It mainly becomes essential or expensive items such as mobile phones, wallets and glasses.”
A research team from the University of Lethbridge conducted an observational study by visiting a Balinese temple for 273 days to investigate the interaction between monkeys and visitors. As a result, the monkeys asked for more food for expensive items and less food for low value items. Rekha said, “For items of low value, the monkeys returned them even if they received less compensation. As the negotiations got longer, they lasted up to 17 to 25 minutes.” He said, “This behavior is socially learned and has likely been passed down through multiple generations in this population for at least 30 years.”
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