Monkeys pick up food in a residential area. [Photo/IC]

A group of monkeys started appearing in the residential areas of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province and harassed people, grabbing food from them, reported people.cn on Tuesday.

People living in the area have complained about the monkeys wandering in the community, running around or peeking in from the windows. They also make faces to scare people and take their food.

Animal experts said the monkeys come from the nearby mountain and only venture into the city area to avoid the summer heat.