Mugger monkeys demanding food from tourists have been making life miserable at a mountain tourist spot and as can be seen here they appear to be trying to exact a toll from people.

The latest incident of the monkey gang demanding food from a visitor in order to let them pass was captured on camera near Chizhou, which is a prefecture-level city in the south of China’s Anhui province.

The local Mount Jiuhua is an important Buddhist site as well as scenic hotspot and includes several temples which are open to the public – and where monkeys have also taken up residence.

They are seen here standing on the edge of some steps where they were demanding food from visitors who tried to walk up past them.

Many remained below but one young man who decided to venture up to the temple was then attacked by the monkeys when he failed to provide them with a toll.

As things started to get nasty, with the man trapped and unsure what to do, a woman ran over with a shovel and threatened the tubby monkeys, which although clearly angry, had nevertheless kept their distance, allowing the man to escape.

The video ends as he dashes down the steps with the monkeys close behind but keeping out of reach of the angry woman with her shovel that she had earlier been using to clear snow.

Online commentators pointed out that the monkeys had not done any favours for their fellow kind by behaving so badly, and that other people learning respect for animals, the monkeys did not seem to be doing the same.