Uluwatu Temple is a gorgeous, serene cliffside sanctuary on the southern tip of Bali where the monkeys run a full-blown, hyper-intelligent pickpocketing syndicate.
The Wall Street Journal’s Hannah Miao documented the little thieves and action, as the 600 or so long-tailed macaques have become one of the world’s most absurdly effective crime rings.
Every week, tourists lose dozens of phones, wallets, sunglasses, and a sense of superiority over their primate cousins to a crew of thieving monkeys. One would naturally assume this is just random behavior. Maybe they see a shiny phone and snatch it out of pure fascination.
It is not.
A Gang of Monkeys Is ‘Running a Scam’ at a Temple in Bali
Studied extensively by researchers from the University of Lethbridge, this is a barter-based economy rooted in theft and negotiation. The little thieves are master hostage takers. These monkeys are stealing, and they’re profiling your accessories for their street value, ransoming them for snacks like Oreos, which tour guides cough up to get the monkeys to give up the loot.
According to Miao, tourist Jonathan Hammé learned this the hard way. He was admiring the ocean when a monkey latched itself onto his back and yoinked his sunglasses. A temple guide handed the monkeys some Oreos in exchange for the safe return of the sunglasses. Well, the sunglasses were bent, but at least he got them back.
Miao spoke to veteran monkey handler Ketut Ariana, who says these shakedowns predate modern tourism, with monkeys once targeting ceremonial jewelry. Today, it’s smartphones, of which they steal up to 10 a day. Handlers, known as pawang, often have to trade food items like raw eggs, mangosteens, and rambutans to retrieve stolen goods. If a monkey wants a better exchange rate, it just climbs higher or holds out longer. Some even steal for kicks.
Temple management has tried various approaches, including feeding schedules, menu changes, and outright bans on tourist feeding. The monkey economy thrives regardless, using the tools of psychological warfare. They know that shiny thing, like your phone, means something to you, and they’re going to use its value against you.
Even the aforementioned researchers from the University of Lethbridge admit that these monkeys demonstrate “unprecedented economic decision-making processes.”
All this just leads me to wonder: can theft with the intent to blackmail be considered a sign of taking the next evolutionary step? Will monkeys evolve to complex Ponzi schemes next? Maybe they’ll establish a supplement-selling racket by targeting weak-willed conservative men who want to feel more masculine?
The stealing will probably never stop. So, if you’re planning a trip to Uluwatu Temple, bring some Oreos. Or maybe some pepper spray and a taser.
The post A Gang of Monkeys Are Running a Smartphone Scam at a Temple in Bali appeared first on VICE.
