The author of this article is an idiot. Obviously the monkeys have, over a long time and an endless stream of visitors, stolen all manner of things from tourists, who have offered the monkey a bit of food to get it back. It is the reaction of tourists that has CONDITIONED them to focus on those slender little boxes and sunglasses that get the biggest and most regular rewards. This is straight out of B.F. Skinner. Mistaking classical condition for human-like reasoning makes him look like a fool. Probably saw a video of chickens playing tic tac toe and stopped going to KFC ‘cuz cHicKnS R sMaRt.
Or the monkeys have been trained what to steal and the negotiators are part of the scam.
“The author of this article is an idiot....”
You are absolutely right. It’s conditioning and a learned response.