These long-tailed macaques live in Bali. Every morning, the troop heads for a building
in the centre of their territory. Tourists come here every day in crowds.
So the temple grounds are full of opportunities, if you know where to look.
There is a constant supply of hats and sunglasses.
But this harvest is not for eating, it’s for bargaining. Seems like a fair trade.
But there are greater rewards to be had for those who know how to get them.
And this old male appears to be doing very well. He and the other elders in this troop
have both experience and knowledge.
They've been working the temple for over 10 years and now concentrate on the big stuff.
No one wants to walk home with just one shoe. And these old boys can't wait to get their hands
on the latest tech.
The older males understand something the youngsters have yet to learn - the art of the deal.
A banana? How dare you? A bar of chocolate?
That's better. The real skill is in the negotiations.
The macaques are playing us at our own game. They demand whatever they want.
The "bartering monkeys" of Bali refer to a unique cultural phenomenon involving long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and humans at the Uluwatu Temple and the Ubud Monkey Forest. These monkeys have learned to exchange items they steal from tourists for food with local vendors or handlers.
The macaques are known to grab items such as hats, sunglasses, or even cameras from unsuspecting visitors. Instead of simply discarding the stolen items, they hold onto them, understanding that they can trade them for food with humans. The monkeys have learned that humans value these items and are willing to exchange them for treats like fruit or nuts.
This behavior has developed over time through interactions between the macaques and the humans who visit these tourist attractions. While it may seem like a cute and amusing interaction, it can also lead to negative consequences, such as encouraging the monkeys to become overly reliant on humans for food and potentially aggressive in their pursuit of items to trade.
Local authorities and conservationists often advise visitors not to encourage this behavior by refusing to engage in the trade and by taking precautions to safeguard their belongings while visiting areas inhabited by these bartering monkeys. It's a fascinating example of the complex interactions that can occur between humans and wildlife in shared environments.
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