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Bonnet macaque
The brown monkey of South India, named for the neat whorl of hair on its crown that parts like a cap. It lives in troops around temples, viewpoints and roadside stalls.
👀 How to recognise it
You will not have to look. Note the crown whorl and the pink face - this is the southern species; the rhesus macaque of North India does not occur here.
Protection
Schedule II, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Where to see it
Bengaluru
Troops at viewpoints have learned that plastic bags mean food, which is why forest staff ask visitors not to feed them: fed troops become bolder and are then removed.
Nandi Hills · Bannerghatta Biological Park · Savandurga (often)
Gokarna
Temple macaques have been fed here for generations, which is why they now take rather than beg. Feeding one makes the next person's walk harder.
Gokarna Beach · Gokarna Beach Trek (five-beach coastal trail) · Kudle Beach
Hampi
Temple macaques have been fed by people for generations, which is exactly why they now take food by force. Feeding them makes the next visitor's problem worse.
Hemakuta Hill · Matanga Hill · Pampa Sarovar
Tirumala
In August 2023 the temple trust banned the sale of fruit and vegetables along the Alipiri footpath, stating that pilgrims were buying them to feed monkeys and deer and that this was drawing wild animals onto the route. Footpath vendors were briefed on waste management at the same time.
Chakra Teertham · Silathoranam · Papavinasanam