Capuchins Kidnap Howler Infants Panama, Threaten Population

A group of long-tailed macaque monkeys at Bali's Uluwatu Temple have been stealing tourists' valuables, such as phones and wallets, and holding them ransom in exchange for food. This behavior amounts to an elaborate scam, with the monkeys reportedly able to distinguish between high-value items like phones and less valuable possessions, targeting the former more frequently. Around 600 macaques inhabit the temple, which is a sacred Hindu site overlooking the Indian Ocean. Despite efforts by temple authorities to alter the monkeys' feeding schedules and restrict tourist feeding, thefts continue unabated, requiring monkey handlers (pawangs) to negotiate returns by offering fruit. Tourists have expressed frustration, describing the situation as akin to a 'criminal enterprise,' with reports of up to 10 phones stolen daily. This phenomenon contrasts with a separate case in Panama, where a gang of capuchin monkeys has been abducting baby howler monkeys, a rare and deadly interspecies behavior observed by scientists studying primate actions.