A pair of tourists were accused of being cruel to a hungry macaque as one of them taunted it with a piece of carrot while the other recorded its screaming reaction.

Shocking footage shows the woman dangling the vegetable in front of the monkey's face as it clung to a metal gate in Guangdong, southern China, on January 17.

As it reached for the food with its arm, she suddenly pulled it away, briefly leaving the animal with a furious expression on its face and even raising its eyebrows.

It became so distressed that it began screaming and tried to get the iron bars to move so it could get out.

Meanwhile, the woman laughed at its unexpected reaction.

Macaques are a diverse group of Old World monkeys that inhabit various regions across Asia, Africa, and Gibraltar, exhibiting a wide range of sizes and fur colours.

Macaques are omnivores, consuming fruits, vegetables, insects, and small animals.