Bad monkey stole a strip of bags of chips from a sidewalk shop. The chips he stole, 10 bags in all worth 20 Nepalese Rupees each, is a big loss to the merchant but a treasure for the thief. I didn’t see the crime, but I saw the culprit.

Small street-side shop selling chips and sweets. There are hundreds of these in Kathmandu

Theif in action

“Oh no, I’m being watched.”

Who can resist chips?

The thief absconded with his booty and climbed up to a ledge on a neighbouring building to enjoy the fruit of his misdeed. We were not the only ones watching him, laughing and taking pictures. The neighbourhood people seemed to find it just as entertaining as we did.

The monkey thief quickly dug into his first bag of chips, piercing it with his sharp teeth. Then, tired of the attention he was getting, he scooted over the wires to a more secluded hide-away and we lost sight of him.

“I’m outa here!”

Running across the wires.

Running across the wires with his booty.

Running across the wires.

The monkeys in Kathmandu are rhesus macaque monkeys. Most are found at the Swayambhunath Temple, also called the monkey temple, for obvious reasons. They are considered sacred there and are cared for by the monks. They even have their own swimming pool.