Media: Thai authorities developed plan to end years of monkey mayhem
On April 3rd, Thai wildlife officials outlined a plan to bring peace to a central Thai city after at least a decade of human-monkey conflict, The Associated Press reports
Lopburi’s macaques are a symbol of local culture and a major tourist attraction. However, there have been dangerous clashes between primates and local residents and visitors for many years. There were also several unsuccessful attempts to establish peace through mammalian population control, but these did not yield results.
“Monkeys frequently try to snatch food from humans, sometimes resulting in tussles that can leave people with scratches and other injuries. But outrage grew in March when a woman dislocated her knee after a monkey pulled her off her feet in an effort to grab food, and another man was knocked off a motorcycle by a hungry monkey,” the publication reads.
Authorities hope to capture about 2,500 of the city’s monkeys and place them in huge enclosures. Officials will work with wildlife experts to find a way to keep the limited number of primates free in the city.
An official monkey capture campaign has been launched this week aiming to catch the more aggressive alpha males. So far, 37 macaques have been captured, most of which have been taken into the custody of authorities in the neighbouring province of Saraburi, while others have been sent to the Lopburi Zoo.
