A few people vacationing in Costa Rica had a visit from several monkeys while having breakfast.

What's happening?

TikTok user Guy Williams (@gwilli25) posted a video of the interaction at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.

@gwilli25 When we said we wanted to see monkeys when visiting Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, this is NOT what we meant. This was hilarious, but we literally had to be on guard with water sprayers 24/7 or else they were coming to steal our food. Took another lady's right off her plate, and they snagged one of our leftover pancakes - 10/10 would eat here again. Manuel Antonio is the place to be if you love wildlife because also a sloth was just climbing in the distance?? #manuelantonio #costarica #monkeys #manuelantonionationalpark #costaricawildlife ♬ un homme et une femme - 🎀

The video shows the monkeys climbing around what appears to be a large pavilion. Some of the people in the video spray water at the monkeys. At one point, a monkey is seen on a roof carrying two pieces of fruit.

"This was hilarious, but we literally had to be on guard with water sprayers 24/7 or else they were coming to steal our food," Guy said in the caption. "Took another lady's right off her plate, and they snagged one of our leftover pancakes - 10/10 would eat here again."

How can human-wildlife interactions be concerning?

We'll never know exactly why this interaction happened. But humans' destruction of animal habitats and lack of food for the monkeys may have led them to look for breakfast near the tourists.

Manuel Antonio National Park's information center says that Costa Rica only covers 0.03% of our planet's surface but has almost 6% of its biodiversity.

Unfortunately, deforestation is harming that biodiversity.

According to the Jaguar Resource Center, white-faced (or capuchin) monkeys live in big social groups. Deforestation has diminished their habitats, food sources, and opportunities for social connection.

A study from the University of Waterloo found that deforestation has affected howler monkeys as well. It suggested that howler monkeys' howls are even longer in areas with rich vegetation. This is likely because they're competing with each other more than ever for resources.

These monkeys' major losses may mean they'll head into human habitats more frequently. As the JRC said, this could cause problems for both parties. Increased conflict and violence may happen, and it could end with wildlife and humans getting hurt.

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How did people react to the interaction?

Commenters responded with varying levels of seriousness and concern.

"Well technically yall are in his house," one TikTok user said.

That commenter also said the people in the video should've given the monkeys food, which caused another user to reply: "Don't ever feed animals in the wild pleasee."

"Oh no! Was there Costa Rica in your Costa Rica???" another commenter joked.

How can I prevent human-wildlife interactions?

Global Vision International listed several ways to be a responsible tourist in Costa Rica. These actions can also apply to any time you're in another animal's habitat.

Don't feed the wildlife food. Keep a safe distance, and don't approach them yourself. While the TikTok poster said they had to "be on guard with water sprayers" to keep the monkeys away, it's better to move away if wildlife gets close.

GVI stated that respecting a national park's rules and using a reputable, ethical tour company are other great actions to take. While deforestation isn't an issue anyone can solve on their own, responsible tourism can still help to preserve ecosystems.

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