Monkey Steals M’sian Man’s iPhone, Uses It To Take Selfies & Videos

Monkey steals iPhone from M’sian man


Human beings and monkeys share DNA that’s over 90% similar, which makes them our closest living relatives. Even if you’re a little freaked out over that fact, monkeys have proven that their behaviour, social groups, and body functions are uncannily human-like.

A monkey in Batu Pahat demonstrated how we’re not that different at all by showcasing its photography and selfie skills – classic modern human behaviour, indeed – when it stole a man’s iPhone and experimented with its camera feature.


Monkey took selfies with stolen iPhone


Johorean Zackrydz Rodzi, the victim of this monkey robbery, shared his predicament on his personal Facebook page on 13th September by posting a series of photos taken by the monkey including pictures of some trees and its face. The simian even managed to record a few videos.

Rodzi also gave a detailed account in Malay about how he managed to retrieve his lost phone.


Image credit: Zackrydz Rodzi

He turned the situation into a funny misfortune with a humourous caption that read, “Alhamdulillah my phone has been found. Turns out, it wasn’t a thief or a toyol (a mythical creature known for stealing things in Malay mythology). This monkey is the suspect that broke into my home.”


The monkey’s self-portrait
Image adapted from: Zackrydz Rodzi

He then went on to recall how he woke up to find his phone missing. Going on a search around his neighbourhood, he then found his phone casing behind his house. Upon dialing his own phone number, he heard his phone ring in a forest nearby – fortunately, it wasn’t on silent mode or vibrate.


Image credit: Zackrydz Rodzi

When he opened his phone gallery, he was treated to the sight of photos taken by the mischievous mammal.


Netizens marvel at monkey’s newfound skill


Netizens were equally tickled by Rodzi’s story. Many found it hard to believe that such an incident can happen in real life, mainly because the monkey’s photography skills were actually not bad, even by our standards. Facebook user Syafiq Samir Nasri commented, “Monkeys are good at selfie-ing now.”

His comment prompted a funny reply from Rodzi, who said that the monkey even tried several features such as the time-lapse function, slow-mo function, and portrait mode. Nasri chimed in saying that maybe the monkey wanted to learn something new.


Image credit: Syafiq Samir Nasri

Rodzi’s post was also picked up and reshared on Twitter by @XavierNaxa on the same day. The tweet was posted with the caption, translated from Malay, “Let me share a funny story from our friend who first posted this on Facebook Apple User Group.” His post has since gone viral with over 4,000 retweets and more than 4,300 likes at the time of writing.


Image credit: @XavierNaxa

In the replies to the viral tweet, netizens were quick to notice a particularly high-quality, close-up shot of a tree branch. User @m_adibabdullah hilariously remarked that the monkey can take better pictures than he can.


Image credit: @m_adibabdullah

@eldwm also highlighted the tree branch picture, saying that the monkey is really talented, and can even take on the job of a family photographer and charge its customers.

Image credit: @eldwm


Monkey shows off photography skills with stolen phone


In a funny and somewhat fortunate twist of events, Rodzi first had to endure the plight of possibly being a victim of theft, then managed to retrieve his phone and even got a comedic surprise out of it.

His phone may have some scratches, courtesy of the monkey thief, but we’re sure he won’t be deleting those rare shots anytime soon.

Keep up with more funny Malaysian antics here:


Cover image adapted from: Zackrydz Rodzi

Enjoying The Smart Local Malaysia? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.

Amanda Looi: