As Tourists Disappear... Monkey Troops Occupying Thailand "Become Aggressive"

Thailand Government "Plans to Sterilize 500 Monkeys"

A troop of monkeys engaged in a 'fight' in the downtown area of Lopburi. Photo by Facebook 'Sasaluk Rattanachai' capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-joo] In the village of Lopburi, known as the "Monkey City" of Thailand, monkeys have turned into tyrants in the urban area.

Due to the sharp decline in tourists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeys that were accustomed to receiving food from tourists have become aggressive because they can no longer obtain food.

The monkeys have begun invading residents' homes and shops to loot food and attack residents trying to stop them.

The Thai government stated, "Currently, more than 2,000 monkeys have become more aggressive as it has become difficult for them to find food, looting residents' food and even attacking people."

Supakan Kaejot, a veterinarian affiliated with the Thai government, said, "These monkeys are already accustomed to the food given by tourists and cannot adapt to the current situation," adding, "Because tourists have disappeared, they have become more aggressive and changed to survive by obtaining food."

Residents are desperately trying to defend themselves by barricading buildings and installing nets to prevent looting by the monkeys.

Residents of Lopburi village complain, "We cannot take our eyes off the monkeys for fear of being attacked."

As the problem escalated, the Thai government finally stepped in to control the population.

The Thai government plans to lure the monkeys with fruit and perform sterilization surgery on about 300 monkeys just this week.

The Thai government stated, "We plan to capture and sterilize 500 monkeys over the next two months," adding, "This method is intended to minimize the increase in population and does not threaten the species itself."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.