A tourist has been banned from a sacred scenic spot after he was filmed trying to shove a protected monkey off a cliff edge.
The animal was calmly eating an orange while sitting on a guardrail when the man approached.
In the footage, he apparently tried to shove the Tibetan macaque off the rail with both hands.
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Onlookers gasped in shock.
The poor monkey teetered on the edge for a moment before regaining its balance and angrily lunging at the tourist, who ran away while laughing.
The shocking stunt took place at the sacred Mount Emei Scenic Area in Sichuan Province, China, on Monday (4 May).
In China, the Tibetan macaque is classified as a second-class national protected species, as reported by Need To Know.
The video triggered a storm of outrage online.
One furious commentator said: “I rarely stand on the monkey’s side, but this time I stand on the monkey’s side!”
Another added: “This is not a joke; it is disregard for life.”
A third remarked: “The monkey’s life is also a life, injuring a nationally protected animal should have consequences.”
Mount Emei is home to around 15 groups of Tibetan macaques, over 500 animals in total, which are known locally as Emei monkeys.
The scenic area explicitly forbids tourists from feeding, teasing, startling or touching the intelligent but wild creatures.
In an official bulletin issued yesterday (7 May), the Emei Mountain Scenic Area Management Committee confirmed it had identified the man.
The culprit reportedly admitted his mistake and apologised.
The committee announced he has been added to the ‘uncivilised tourist blacklist’ and is now barred from entering the site for three years.
Local lawyer Guo Gang warned that, had the monkey fallen and died, the tourist could have faced an administrative fine of between £1,080 and £10,800 (CNY 10,000 and 100,000) under China’s Wild Animal Protection Law, with possible criminal charges.
He added that no liability would apply only if the animal had first attacked a person in a way that endangered human safety – which did not happen here.
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