Gangs of monkeys terrorize a Thai city (10 photos + 2 videos)

Gangs of monkeys are terrorizing the Thai tourist town of Lopburi, located 150 km from Bangkok. To combat dangerous primates, police armed themselves with slingshots and tranquilizers.





In the Thai city of Lopburi, which is located 150 km from Bangkok, entire gangs of macaques are “operating”. The city already has a bad reputation for its uncontrollable monkey population, but this time the situation is out of control again. The local police station took action: the police armed themselves with slingshots and tranquilizers, and drove around the city, neutralizing the dangerous primates. The local police even have a special unit to combat aggressive wild monkeys.



According to law enforcement officers, monkeys climb on cars, steal food from stores and tourists, and also “commit acts of vandalism.” In one video, two police officers are seen driving around Lopburi on a motorcycle, and one of them takes out a slingshot and throws small stones at the primates. They are only allowed to use stones to scare them away if there is no other way to control them. However, many "seasoned" monkeys are already familiar with tranquilizer guns - and climb tall buildings and houses when police approach them.





Local National Parks Department officials have also begun rounding up the worst ape offenders and moving them to temporary shelters where the primates can reflect on their behavior and draw conclusions. They even managed to capture one “gang leader,” Ai Krao, a primate known among local merchants and drivers for his aggressiveness.



In recent years, Lopburi has become known for its uncontrollable monkey population - they even take over empty buildings. The primates appeared here in large numbers at the height of the pandemic when food was scarce. But despite the danger, locals are keen to keep the monkeys in the city as they attract tourists from all over the world.