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Monkeys are funny, as well as dangerous.

I have already asked a question about how one should go about camping where there are monkeys around: Camping and Monkeys.

The best advice would be to avoid them if you are unsure about your own safety.

A number of Rock Climbing places in India are habitats for these monkeys, living in the natural caves, playing all day on the edges and cliffs. As a climber, I have always seen that when I am at the base of one such climb, as I approach they panic.

Have other people in the rest of the world had a similar issue? What would you do if you have climbed up a good way and then you find a gang of monkeys up over the wall? Is it wiser to call it a day and retreat?

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    I've seen videos of monkeys chasing people off of cliffs while deep water soloing. It's their habitat, they will defend it, I'd be more concerned about getting bit than scaring the monkeys.
    – ShemSeger
    Commented Dec 24, 2015 at 17:22
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    @ShemSeger what is deep water soloing? Are monkeys scuba diving now?
    – ab2
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 2:04
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    @ab2 Free solo rock climbing over deep water. If you fall, you fall into water. Here's a video of Chris Sharma deep water soloing a 5.15b in Spain: youtube.com/watch?v=od1dpI4p85c
    – ShemSeger
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 4:11
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    @ShemSeger - That dyno move in the video doesn't look that hard -- if I turn my monitor upside down.
    – user2169
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 15:02
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    @ben It's a 7ft dyno with a fifty foot fall. Sharma fell something like 200 times projecting this route over a couple of years. The dyno isn't even the hardest part.
    – ShemSeger
    Commented Dec 27, 2015 at 17:28

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Not sure there are many places where monkeys would be an issue, but I suppose the issue is the same with other animals.

In Europe where climbing ethics are often related to environmental ethics and respect of wildlife and nature, it is usual to leave any nesting animal alone and avoid disturbing them.

See the BMC advice for British climbers and birds: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/nesting-birds-advice-for-climbers

Such advice concerns usually birds (because there are little chances to find any other animals there) but the common wisdom would extend that behaviour to other (large) animals. And wasp nests.

As with any ethical issue the limit is not so white and black though, and on long sea cliff climbs it is not rare to encounter a fulmar vomiting on you. The brave climber will usually continue climbing despite the disturbance caused and the stench of the vomit, because his sandwich is up there beyond the bird.

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