February 28, 2014 — Uluwatu Temple, Bali, Indonesia
A Brazilian tourist expecting to capture memories of Bali ended up starring in one of the internet’s funniest wildlife encounters after a mischievous monkey stole his GoPro camera and recorded its own adventure.
The tourist was visiting the famous Uluwatu Temple, a destination well known for its free-roaming macaques, when he decided to film the animals up close. As he held out the camera, one particularly curious monkey suddenly grabbed it and sprinted into the nearby forest.
The stunned tourist could only watch as the monkey disappeared with his expensive camera.
Temple staff, who were familiar with the monkeys’ playful behavior, stepped in to help. After several minutes, they managed to negotiate with the furry thief by offering it fruit in exchange for the GoPro.
The monkey accepted the trade, dropped the camera, and happily walked away with its snack.
Relieved to have his camera back, the tourist expected to find only a few shaky clips. Instead, he discovered that the monkey had accidentally created a hilarious video diary.
The footage showed the monkey staring directly into the lens, making funny faces, inspecting the camera from every angle, and even capturing what looked like a perfect selfie before running through the forest.
The unexpected video quickly spread across the internet, with millions of people laughing at what many called one of the best “animal selfies” ever recorded.
While the tourist lost nothing but a little time, he gained a story—and footage—that few travelers could ever hope to match.
News Outlet: The Independent
Direct Article:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/weird-news/monkey-steals-gopro-camera-and-takes-forest-selfie-9159682.html
Additional Coverage (CBS News):
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/monkey-steals-tourists-camera-takes-selfie/
