Man swarmed by monkeys becomes meme

This is why they tell you not to feed the monkeys. Photo / Reddit

Whoever said rules were meant to be broken has clearly never ignored signs instructing tourists not to feed the monkeys.

This hapless man learnt the hard way when he attempted to hand out snacks to local primates.

Surrounded by the remnants of a bag of treats, the monkeys clamour to grab some food, with some of the braver ones even climbing onto the man's head.

In the photo, which appeared on Reddit, just part of the man's shorts and T-shirt can been seen through the wall of furry limbs.

Predictably, the internet responded with a barrage of memes, with the location and man were both mocked up in a range of different scenarios.

The internet responded with a barrage of memes, including this mock-up of the Gladiator film. Photo / Reddit

They included a scene from the Russell Crowe blockbuster Gladiator and the cartoon Tarzan.

But while the man appeared to be enjoying himself, in most places, feeding monkeys is highly discouraged for several reasons.

One of the main issues is that monkeys are very susceptible to contracting diseases from human hands and they can easily fall ill from germs that have no effect on men, women and children.

It is also dangerous for humans as irregular feeding by tourists can cause aggressive behaviour from monkeys, they often carry diseases like hepatitis B and rabies as well.

The Photoshop gurus pretended that the man in question had doused himself with an aftershave that attracted the animals. Photo / Reddit

The man even became the sorting hat from Harry Potter. Photo / Reddit

Despite these warnings, and many other reasons for not feeding monkeys, tourists continue to do so in various countries around the world.

A clever mock-up show Tarzan rescuing Jane from the mob of monkeys. Photo / Reddit

Even Donald Trump made an appearance in the mock-ups, with the insinuation that his fans are monkeys. Photo / Reddit

Just a couple of months ago, MailOnline Travel reported on a video of a horrified tourist having her mobile snatched by a monkey in Leshan, Sichuan Province, China.

The woman was leaning forward with an arm outstretched to feed the creature during a tour, but as well as snatching her edible offerings, the cheeky monkey also swiped her smartphone.