Why Are Macaques So Aggressive?

When monkeys get aggressive, it's usually because they think you have something to eat. According to one study, about three-quarters of all the aggressive interactions between long-tailed macaques and tourists at Bali's Padangtegal Monkey Forest involved food.

Are macaques aggressive?

Conclusions. Captive rhesus macaques are not naturally aggressive, but poor husbandry and handling practices can trigger their aggression toward conspecifics and toward the human handler.

Why do macaques kidnap babies?

The reason why monkeys kidnap other baby monkeys, is that many female monkeys are interested in new-born babies. They will try to groom the new-born, try to touch the baby or ultimately kidnap the baby from the mother. This happens a lot between high ranking female monkeys, and low-ranking mothers and their babies.