Monkeys use crafty techniques to get junk food from tourists
Hanuman langurs have adapted their behaviour to thrive around human environments
Ondrej Prosicky / Alamy
A group of monkeys in India has developed a range of ingenious techniques to acquire food peacefully from devout tourists.
Revered as holy at the Dakshineswar temple complex near Kolkata, Hanuman langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) quietly grab visitors’ legs, tug on their clothes, hold their hands or simply stand up in front of them, often around vendors’ food stands. The wild primates usually continue such begging tactics until they get their particular treat of choice: sweet buns, says Dishari Dasgupta at the Indian Institute of…
