Hungry Bali monkeys dependent on tourists’ snacks raid villages

• Monkeys, usually dependent on tourist handouts in Bali, raid people’s homes in search of food.
• Some residents are worried about the hungry creatures, the Associated Press reports.
• Indonesia banned all foreign visitors in July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hungry Bali monkeys, usually dependent on snacks brought by tourists who are now kept away by the pandemic, raid local homes in search of food. Associated Press reported on Friday.

Residents of Sangeh village on the Indonesian resort island said the animals are moving from their hideout, Sangeh Monkey Forest, to rooftops, waiting for a quick snack from the inside, the report said.

“We are afraid that the hungry monkeys will become wild and vicious,” one of the villagers of Saskara Gustu Alit told AP.

The report says tourism is the main source of income for Bali residents, but Indonesia banned all foreign travelers from visiting the island in July.

The usually protected forest is a popular travel destination and is home to around 600 monkeys.

“This protracted pandemic has exceeded our expectations,” Made Mohon, the reserve’s operations manager, told AP. “Food for monkeys has become a problem.”