Sneaking a Phone, Taking Juice, and Saying "Take It"... 'Carrot Master' Indian Monkey

After Stealing a Mobile Phone, the Monkey Trades It for a Snack
The Video Gains Tens of Thousands of 'Likes' and Goes Viral

A monkey in India, known for stealing people's belongings and running away, was caught on camera engaging in a barter exchange, sparking widespread attention. On the 16th (local time), Indian media outlet NDTV and other local news sources reported that a video of a monkey in Brindavan, India, recently posted on social media, has become popular among netizens. In the video, the owner, who had their expensive mobile phone snatched by the monkey, tried to win back the monkey's favor by tossing a container filled with mango juice upwards.

The monkey, holding the phone in one hand, grabbed the juice with the other hand, and upon seeing this, immediately dropped the phone. Only then was the owner able to retrieve their smartphone. The video garnered over 370,000 'likes' and gained significant popularity. Netizens who watched the video commented, "Is this the jungle version of a cool trade?", "It seems the monkey took the phone just to get something to eat. Smart!", and "Looks like the mango juice deal was appealing to it."

Among these comments, one netizen wrote, "In many cities in India, monkeys survive by relying on snacks given by people," adding, "This is due to a lack of food resources and habitat destruction." In fact, as monkey habitats in India disappear due to uncontrolled development, voices are rising to establish sustainable wildlife protection policies to address this issue.

Meanwhile, a study revealed that monkeys possess the ability to distinguish high-value items among tourists' belongings. Researchers from the University of Lethbridge in Canada confirmed in 2021 that monkeys at the Uluwatu Temple in Bali, Indonesia, are skilled at identifying the most important items tourists carry and using this knowledge to their advantage. After observing the monkeys at the temple for about 300 days, the researchers noted that the monkeys tended to snatch items like mobile phones or wallets first, as these were more likely to be exchanged for food by tourists. They also stated that such behavior appears to have been maintained across multiple generations for at least 30 years.