Tourism Drives Bonnet Macaques to Beg for or Snatch Food at Suruli Falls

Between 2022 and 2025, independent researcher M Nandhini tracked bonnet macaques in Theni to understand how tourism was changing their behaviour. “One of the most interesting patterns I noticed was in the way they sought food,” says Nandhini. “At popular holiday spots, macaques have moved from foraging in the wild to snatching food from tourists,” says the environment researcher.