YouTubers blamed after monkeys attack at ancient temple

YouTubers are being blamed for “aggressive” monkeys attacking tourists with in a park in Cambodia claiming the animals were being “egged on” by them.

Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia features some of the remaining ruins of the Khmer Empire’s capital and is surrounded by forests that house thousands of macaque monkeys.

The area is one of the largest tourist attractions in Cambodia, and according to SCMP, is regularly visited by YouTubers and other content creators going there to film videos to post online. Some have even reportedly gone as far as abusing the monkeys.

However, the publication also says that the constant human reaction and YouTubers ‘egging them on’ has changed the monkey’s natural behavior from being wild animals to domestic ones that are “aggressive, steal food, and cause injuries.”

Officials warn against “aggressive” monkeys

In addition to monkeys becoming aggressive, officials are worried that their newfound behavior will cause long-lasting damage to the historical tourist attraction.

“On top of biting visitors, they have been climbing up and pushing stones down, damaging temples,” said Long Kosal, a spokesman for the location.

SCMP also says that back in 2024, the local agricultural ministry announced a plan to identify all of the monkeys in the area and relocate those posing a danger to humans.

Over the last few years, quite a few monkey-related incidents involving influencers have gone viral across social media.

YouTube streaming sensation IShowSpeed was streaming in Bali, Indonesia back in September 2024 when he and his team visited a nature reserve full of monkeys.

YouTube: IShowSpeed

He sat down on a bench and was almost immediately greeted by the primates, but it wasn’t long until one fell off his shoulder and knocked off his wireless microphone.

Within seconds, another monkey grabbed the mic and ran away with it. After spending time trying to hunt it down to retrieve the tech – Speed decided to give up entirely.

In other monkey-related news, back in November 2024, 40 macaque monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina – but most of them were quickly located.