A monkey was spotted mugging a tourist by attempting to rip open his bags to steal food.

The holidaymaker climbing the steps at Emei Mountain was stopped by the mischievous primate in Sichuan, China.

Footage shows the man carrying the white plastic bag with snacks inside, lifting it over his head to prevent the macaque from snatching it on August 10.

He can be seen carefully moving away, with the ravenous creature following him and reaching for the container.

Determined to get the food, the monkey even grabbed the man's shirt.

This prompted the vacationer to give in and hand over a piece of bread to the animal.

After successfully receiving the snack, a street sweeper holding a broom shooed the monkeys away.

Monkeys are common in the area, and there have been reports of them taking items and even barging into homes in search of food.

The park management advises tourists not to approach the monkeys, as they may become aggressive if they feel threatened.

Risks from monkey bites include serious wound infections, herpes B virus, and rabies.