Grumpy monkey throws a tantrum when tourist runs out of bananas

Jaipur India is home to hundreds of thousands of monkeys. They live in the forested areas and also in the cities, in close proximity with humans. They are completely wild, but they do interact with human populations and frequent areas where food might be available. They have become very accustomed to humans and they roam comfortably among them where their habitat meets urban areas.

The people in Jaipur are also accustomed to the monkeys. In the Hindu religion, monkeys have great significance and it is believed that helping the monkeys brings favourable consequences. Many people supply them with food and show them a great deal of respect.

This troop of blackface monkeys, or vervet monkeys, has come down from the hills to look for food at the side of the road near a fruit and vegetable cart. Motorists and villagers have given them a few peanuts and bananas and the monkeys have gathered along a short wall to wait patiently for more. A pair of Canadian tourists have arrived and they are fascinated with the monkeys and their behavior. They purchased a few kilograms of bananas and began passing them out. The monkeys eagerly snatch the bananas while keeping an eye out for the larger and more dominant males in the group, as well as a rival troop of rhesus monkeys. They are competitive and will often squabble over food.

This tourist finds that some of the monkeys are wary of him while others are very comfortable. One particularly large monkey arrives when the last banana has been claimed and he scowls at the tourist who shows him that there are none left in the bowl. The monkey hops on the wall angrily and scowls more. It even thumps the wall in frustration as if it would like to smack the tourist for allowing this banana shortage. While feeding monkeys in this manner will usually not cause an issue, people should always remember that these are wild animals that are unpredictable. A monkey has formidable teeth and an agility that makes them more than a little dangerous to a human. Getting close to a monkey, or a group of them can be risky.