This male tourist sparked online controversy for kicking a wild macaque with his foot in a bid to get it off the back of another man whom it clung to while trying to steal his food.

The incident was captured at a mountain scenic spot in Jiyuan, in China’s central Henan Province, on 7th December.

In the video, the wild monkey is seen grab-holding a man by his waist and attempting to snatch the bag of food in his hand.

Unable to rid himself of the animal, he sought the help of another bystander, who kicked the macaque with his leg to drive it away.

The monkey then attempted to escape the attack by hiding behind the tourist it held onto, but ran away scared when the man tried to kick it once more.

The footage attracted widespread attention on social media, with some users accusing the man of animal cruelty, and others defending the tourists by claiming the macaques in the area are quite aggressive with humans.

Following the incident, staff from the scenic area responded saying that visitors should seek their help if they ever find themselves in similar situations.

Staff added that these incidents are not common in the scenic area.

Monkeys are wild animals, and due to a reduction in food like fruits during the winter, they may attempt to grab something when they see it.

A staff member said: “If you don’t bring (food) and don’t tease the monkeys, they generally won’t harm people.”

Finally, the scenic area promised to intensify supervision to ensure both tourists’ and animals’ safety.

It reminded visitors to be mindful of protecting the animals in the area and to avoid causing them unnecessary harm.