The first time I saw monkeys perched on a roof at Lio Beach, I was fascinated. I’ve only spotted monkeys here twice, so it felt like a rare treat. The scene instantly reminded me of Bali, but with a striking difference: these monkeys were quietly eating fruit from the trees, completely uninterested in humans or the nearby cafés and restaurants.
In Bali, monkeys are bold and mischievous, often raiding food or snatching belongings, but here, they seemed content.
That got me thinking, why the contrast in behavior?
I started digging a little deeper into the differences between monkeys in the Philippines and Bali, curious about what shapes their attitudes toward humans.
The main difference comes down to how much the monkeys in Bali have gotten used to (and rewarded by) being around humans. It’s a process called ‘habituation.’
Bali, especially in tourist-heavy spots like Ubud’s Sacred Monkey Forest or certain beaches and temples in Uluwatu, monkeys have learned over generations that humans means easy food, they got bananas, snacks, leftovers, stolen drinks. One time while walking towards our villa, a monkey approached us and grabbed the bag of goods we got from the supermarket! The side street vendors, somewhat in panic at what they saw, tried to shield us away from the monkey! It was hilarious, but we feared passing by the Monkey Forest Road for a while.
Furthermore, restaurants means there’s no need to hunt, so the monkeys can just grab something from tables, like what happened at Bingin beach where a monkey just popped out of nowhere and climbed the roof to eat the leftovers in my bowl.
In Bali, humans rarely harm these monkeys, monkeys are gods, they’re sacred. Visitors also feed them intentionally and locals tolerate them because they attract tourists.
In the Philippines, most monkeys live in less tourist-heavy, well, wilder habitats like Palawan, where they’re less exposed to people giving them food. Sometimes, human contact often means danger (hunting, traps, being chased away). The wilderness still provides the bulk of their food supply, so there’s zero strong incentive to hang around people.
It’s basically urban wildlife adaptation, like how pigeons and squirrels act in big cities versus remote areas. Bali’s monkeys have adapted to a “restaurant economy,” while many Philippine monkeys still live in a “forest economy.” I mean, monkeys in Ulu have started “bargaining” with stolen items to get food back, which is a wild bit of learned behavior.
What can I say? Whether I’m in Bali or here in El Nido, I always respect their space and hope they do the same for mine!🙈
I create digital and traditional art inspired by nature, music, life, and spirituality. writeme@lheanstorm.com for Commissions, web3 collabs & Inquiries.
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