Sign forbidding feeding macaques torn

By Khajorn Phonimthai 
The Nation

 

In response to the widespread sharing of a long-tailed macaque killed by a passing car, Samut Songkhram Governor Khanchat Tansathien on Friday inspected the Don Hoy Lot roadside area in Samut Songkhram’s Muang district.

 

Residents had complained to officials about tourists feeding long-tailed macaques, which then gathered in the area and were run over by motorists. The gathering area is in the vicinity of a curve in the road.

 

A Facebook image post of a macaque killed on the Don Hoy Lot road has been widely shared across Thailand since Sunday.

 

Khanchat instructed officials to clear away food and erect a metal sign prohibiting feeding the animals.

 

He hoped the actions would discourage people from leaving food for the animals and that the macaques would return deeper in the forest in search of their traditional food within the month.

 

As a long-term solution, officials would sterilise the macaques to control their population.

 

As officials were inspecting the scene on Friday, some 100 long-tailed macaques came out to beg for food. The officials also noticed that a posted vinyl “no feeding the animals” sign had been completely torn.

 

There are more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques roaming through the mangrove forests of Samut Songkhram.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30326766

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-15

Time for the RTP to line up the macaques and point the finger at the crafty long-tailed who tore down the sign!!!!

The sign was probably torn down by the monkeys :)

No, it was knocked down by a passing car. The brakes failed......

Don't touch macaque