Macaque monkeys at Indonesian temple can spot expensive items to hold as ransom for food

[Stevicus]

Macaque monkeys at a Bali temple can spot expensive items to steal and ransom for food

The well known phrase cheeky monkey has some basis in fact, if a new study on the behavior of the primates is anything to go by.

The paper, published in a Royal Society science journal, studied monkeys at Uluwatu Temple in Bali, Indonesia, who frequently steal items from humans -- such as bags, hats, sunglasses, tablets and phones -- and hold them to ransom in exchange for offerings of food.

It found adult wild long-tailed macaque monkeys were intelligent enough to comprehend which items had the highest value to the visitors, such as an electronic item, and would only release it after receiving food they perceived to be of corresponding value.

The authors said the behavior displayed "unprecedented economic decision-making processes" among the monkeys observed as part of the study.

These monkeys seem rather smart.

The scientists, from the University of Lethbridge, Canada, and Udayana University, Indonesia, observed that, as well as being able to "use objects as symbolic tools to request specific food rewards," the ability of the monkeys to barter successfully increased with age and experience.

There were "clear behavioral associations between value-based token possession and quantity or quality of food rewards rejected and accepted by subadult and adult monkeys," the authors said, with older monkeys "preferentially" selecting higher value items.

The research, published Monday, was conducted over 273 days from 2015 to 2016, with further observations conducted in 2019.

The scientists filmed the monkeys as they stared at a visitor, inconspicuously approached them, took an object, and then stepped aside waiting for a suitable offering.

The adult monkeys accumulated "several food rewards before returning the token" where the item was of high value, and were "more likely" to accept a "less preferred food reward" in exchange for a lower value item, the study said.

"Token-robbing and token/reward-bartering are cognitively challenging tasks for the Uluwatu macaques that revealed unprecedented economic decision-making processes," the authors said.

"This spontaneous, population-specific, prevalent, cross-generational, learned and socially influenced practice may be the first example of a culturally maintained token economy in free-ranging animals."

I guess even monkeys can learn capitalism and business savvy. That must be what they mean when people say "monkey business."

 

[Secret Chief]

Smart isn't just biped

 

[stvdv]

I guess even monkeys can learn capitalism and business savvy. That must be what they mean when people say "monkey business."

Yes, our "forefathers" handed us quite some business genes

 

[Yerda]

This has made my day.

 

[Revoltingest]

I guess even monkeys can learn capitalism and business savvy. That must be what they mean when people say "monkey business."

I blame their matriarchal society.

 

[Yerda]

What next, actual loan sharks grifting at Sea World?

 

[Onoma]

I've read accounts of monkeys in India being trained to steal. They'll hang out on a fencepost near a market and swoop down and snatch money and items and bring them to the trainer for a reward

I also know that they break into homes whenever they can, it's a big problem in some cities in India

 

[Stevicus]

 

[Yerda]

Dolphins are smart enough to learn that people are easily fooled:

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At the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, Kelli has received quite a bit of attention for the clever way she has figured out to get more fish. As a result of training, when the dolphins discover paper or trash in the water, they smartly know to bring it to a trainer to receive a fish reward. Kelly, however, has gone one step further.

Kelly figured out that she received the same fish regardless of the size of the piece of trash she was delivering to her trainer. So she began hiding big pieces of trash under a rock. Kelly would then rip off small pieces from the trash and deliver them one at a time so that she could receive more fish.

Well played, Kelly.