Video of father and son cornered by monkeys at popular landmark sparks debate: 'There's like a dozen warning signs'

As humans, it's difficult to understand animals' behavior. However, when it comes to wild animals, letting them be and keeping your distance is the best form of understanding, especially since they can get aggressive in an attempt to protect themselves.

One viral TikTok video posted by Callum Peach (@callum_peach) documented this aggressive nature in monkeys on top of a viewpoint in Gibraltar. In the video, a group of monkeys appears to be harassing a father and son, even while the boy is hunched over, afraid.

@callum_peach Monkey attack Gibraltar top of the rock #gibraltar #monkey #therock ♬ original sound - callumpeach

While the video sparked debate over whether to fight back against the monkeys or do as the father and son did, the behavior of the monkeys themselves is indicative of wildlife habituation. This occurs when wild animals are exposed to tourists and humans so frequently that they lose their fear of them, which is dangerous for both wildlife and humans.

Wildlife habituation often occurs in national parks, where animals and people are consistently exposed to each other. Mostly, when tourists try to get a closer look at or feed the animals, the wildlife starts to assume that approaching humans will be a source of food — not unlike the behavior of the monkeys in the video.

One article on Conservation Debates explained, "If wild animals get used to humans, whether it's through their presence or by feeding off their scraps, they lose their fear and become aggressive."

Meanwhile, "When wild animals no longer see humans as a threat, they allow humans to come very close to them — or the animal will approach a human," according to the National Park Service. It's important to avoid wildlife interactions for your own safety and the animals'. When animals injure humans, provoked or not, they are often euthanized.

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To keep this from happening, it's crucial to leave animals be. However, if the animal has already been habituated and is approaching you, as they are in the video, the best course of action is to keep moving.

One travel article described what to do: "Try to avoid making eye contact and do not smile at a wild monkey. To a monkey, showing your teeth is a sign of aggression and threat. Similarly, don't yell at a monkey or otherwise tease/heckle it. Take care with your body language and don't make sudden movements — any perception of aggression or threat will increase the chance of a monkey attack."

TikTok users agreed. Don't try fighting them; just walk away.

"Just don't go near the monkeys. There's like a dozen warning signs that they might be aggressive," wrote one.