Perhaps I should seek employment as a surveillance photographer as I found it amusing capturing the mischievous primates on film in Bali, Cambodia, and India.
This cheeky monkey was spotted on Elephanta Island. To get there, we had to take a 50-minute boat ride from India Gate in Mumbai.
First, this little macaque checked the scene to ensure she wasn’t being watched.
Into the blue bucket she dove.
With her prize in sight, she completed one final check…
…and spirited away a bag of savory snacks.
It’d be hard to identify her in a line-up with only the derrière shot!
But I caught her later, enjoying the evidence. :)
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- To reach Elephanta Island, catch a ferry by the Gateway of India. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes each way.
- Need more inspiration as you plan your travels in India? This link contains an index of all my posts from India.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Published by Tricia A. Mitchell
Tricia A. Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. Born in Europe but raised in the United States, she has lived in Valletta, Malta; Heidelberg, Germany; and Split, Croatia. An avid globetrotter who has visited more than 65 countries, she has a penchant for off-season travel. Tricia has learned that travel’s greatest gift is not sightseeing, rather it is the interactions with people. Some of her most memorable experiences have been sharing a bottle of champagne with distant French cousins in Lorraine, learning how to milk goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village, and ringing in the Vietnamese New Year with a Hanoi family. She welcomes any opportunity to practice French and German, and she loves delving into a place’s history and artisanal food scene.
A former education administrator and training specialist, Tricia has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in international relations. She and her husband, Shawn, married in the ruins of a snowy German castle. They’ve been known to escape winter by basing themselves in coastal Croatia or Southeast Asia.
Her writing has appeared in Fodor’s Travel, Frommer’s, and International Living.
View more posts
Travels With Tricia 
It’s like watching a short monkey film… He he he ;)
It is similar to the picture flip books isn’t it? Glad the images brought a smile to your face – happy weekend! :)
Funny monkey!
Even when there’s magnificent architecture nearby, they steal the show… :)
What a great series! Love the look on her face – does she realize that she is busted – or were you far enough away on zoom! Love it!
Both, I think!
As with an art thief, perhaps it was merely the thrill of the theft. She knew we could never catch her. :)
These Bonnet macaques can be quite a menace at times. Most are ridiculously daring and will grab food from children’s hands and will scratch badly if you don’t cooperate with their plans! Where I live now, they’re constantly running on the roof.
Ruth, you’re absolutely right! When we were in Bali, we saw a baby macaque playing on a female tourist’s lap (with her dress tassel). When baby accidentally rolled a few inches, the mother monkey grew frightened, thought the human was hurting her little one, and latched onto the woman’s arm with her teeth!
We also saw the macaques stealing sunglasses, juice bottles and children’s candy.
Do they also tightrope walk on power lines by your home?
As roguish as they can be, it’s such a delight to watch them though. Fascinating creatures!
Oh dear. Haha, their tightrope walking skills are quite well known, I see! Yes, they are fascinating. It makes for an interesting analysis because people usually believe there is a clear divide between the wilderness and urban landscapes, or the homes of humans and all wild creatures.
Throughout our travels in Asia, we also sadly saw a fair number of them kept as pets – chained to a post and lonely. Guess that’s why it was such a joy to observe them in a more natural environment – even if it is an intersection between an urban and wild landscape.
Such a fun post! I think you have your ‘work’ cut out for you ;)
So true – whenever I try to catch animals on film, I have an even greater appreciation of National Geographic photographers. It would be a fun job though!
I agree with you! Nat Geo photographers are a class act!
Lovely sequence. Made me smile. Thanks!
Sporting a smile is a great way to start the weekend, Rachael. Hope yours is wonderful!