The monkeys that live around the Uluwatu Temple, located on the paradise island of Bali in Indonesia, are famous for their ability to “steal” items belonging to tourists who visit the place. Recently, a video went viral on social media showing one of these animals “negotiating” the return of a mobile phone. But in 2021, a study pointed to the reason for this interesting pattern of behavior. Information from the newspaper the world.
As a study conducted in collaboration between the University of Lethbridge in Canada and Udayana University in Indonesia revealed, the monkeys at Uluwatu Temple have a habit of seizing objects of value to humans, such as cell phones and wallets, using them as bargaining chips. Before returning these items, these wise animals wait for a reward in the form of food.
Scientists observed the monkeys’ notorious behavior between 2015 and 2016, when they were closely monitored over a period of 273 days. Analysis of the interactions between these primates and temple visitors made it possible to identify this pattern of behavior.
In addition, according to the study, the most mature monkeys are also the smartest in the art of negotiation. The researchers point out that these primates were able to distinguish the things that had the greatest value to humans, which enabled them to obtain a greater amount of food in exchange for such items.
Negotiations usually take a few minutes, and always involve the monkey, the tourist and a member of the Uluwatu Temple staff. Furthermore, research has revealed that monkeys learn this behavior until they are around four years old.
Source: Redacao Terra
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