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Rival monkey gangs take over a Thai tourist town, forcing police officers to arm themselves with sling shots and tranquillizer guns. The monkeys took over Lopburi, which stands about 90 miles from Bangkok. A team successfully captured Ai Krao, the monkey gang leader famous for his aggressive behaviour. After police shot the monkey with a sedative dart, they hauled him off in a cage.
The Daily Mail reports that in Lopburi, Thailand, law-enforcement officers have armed themselves with slingshots and tranquillizers for their protection. Do they consider that perhaps the monkeys now own this town?
According to reports, a marauding army of some 3,500 monkeys has invaded a city centre in Thailand, deterring tourists and forcing businesses to close down.
The increasing problem with monkeys has reached such a significant level that it is putting the popular city of Lopburi in danger of becoming a ghost town. Chinese investors are holding back their money until the problem gets resolved, as per the South China Post.
The monkey 'capital' Lopburi
This town, which is around 90 miles north of the capital Bangkok, is becoming known for its monkey population. The local police use wooden catapults to handle the raucous monkeys.
“I am aware of the potential danger from monkeys,” said Police Major General Apirak Wechkanchana. “They have started to pose a threat to tourists and locals. The slingshots now being carried by our officers will help to threaten the monkeys when necessary.” PETA warriors, stand down: The cops aren’t actually hitting the monkeys. The slingshots are mostly an attempt to shoo them away.
Wechkanchana ordered a special police unit to establish themselves to combat monkeys. "In most cases, they only need to use slingshots as a deterrent. They don't have to strike the monkeys with objects," he said. The police unit was also responsible for preventing the monkeys from stealing or vandalising items.
Monkeys relocated due to offenses
Staff at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation are also catching some of the worst monkey offenders and relocating them," Nathi Krutthaka, Conservation Bureau Officer No. 1, told Daily Mail. He added, "We had to conceal our faces and the tranquiliser guns to prevent the monkeys from seeing them.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation team's staff caught the monkey gang leader, 'Ai Krao'. They sedated Ai Krao and moved him to another place.
A specialty unit specifically deals with Lopburi's primate problem, but the monkeys outsmart the cops. Apparently, the monkeys have learned to recognize the tranquilizer guns and know to run away when they spot them. "We had to conceal our faces and the tranquilizer guns to prevent the monkeys from seeing them," one cop working on the monkey beat shared.
These events are not unheard of. In 2020, a gang of monkeys embarked on a two-hour train trip to search for food. They also fought and dominated the local monkey population.
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