Thai vets perform mass sterilization as hungry monkeys terrorize tourist city

 

Two monkeys are seen sedated as veterinarians from the the Department of National Parks carry out a sterilization procedure due to the increase of the macaques population in the urban area and the tourist spots of the city of Lopburi, in Thailand June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

LOPBURI, Thailand (Reuters) - Thailand has started sterilizing hundreds of monkeys in a city famous for its macaque population, as the coronavirus pandemic leaves them hungry, aggressive and wrestling food from terrified residents.

 

Lopburi province and its 2,000 monkeys have long been a draw for tourists from around the world, who typically feed them and pose with them for selfies.

 

But since Thailand closed its borders on April 4 to control coronavirus infections, the monkeys are not adapting well to their new normal.

 

"They're so used to having tourists feed them and the city provides no space for them to fend for themselves," said Supakarn Kaewchot, a government veterinarian.

 

"With the tourists gone, they've been more aggressive, fighting humans for food to survive," she told Reuters.

 

"They're invading buildings and forcing locals to flee their homes."

 

Unlike monkeys in the wild, city monkeys need not hunt for food, giving them more time and energy to reproduce and cause trouble, Supakarn said.

 

To try to control their fast-growing population, authorities have this week placed big cages around the city with tantalizing fruits in them, hoping to lure around 300 monkeys for sterilization.

 

From the cages, the monkeys are transferred to an operating table, where they are sedated, shaved and tattooed with a unique reference number under their arms.

 

They lay on their backs under a green cloth as vets perform a vasectomy or a tubal ligation operation.

 

The sleeping monkeys get one night to recover before being taken back to their respective tribes.

 

The government aims to sterilize 500 of the macaques over the next two months.

 

Supakarn said the sterilization would pose no threat to the monkey population and the aim was just to slow down the rate of its urban growth.

 

"We're not doing this in the wild, only in the city areas," she added.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-23

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Could they do something similar with the stray dogs

So they are neutralising the monkeys so they cannot breed. Is this not classed as genocide? Why not jump one step and eliminate the living ones?

Hands protecting others from the Evils

 

Feet protecting what's more 'important' to themselves!   

31 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The government aims to sterilize 500 of the macaques over the next two months.

That is EIGHT per day.

Edited June 23, 20206 yr by stouricks

An off topic post has been removed. 

35 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Could they do something similar with the stray dogs

About 4 million is a lot of dogs, never get on top of it. While you are stopping a few thousand breeding more than that have just been born

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"With the tourists gone, they've been more aggressive, fighting humans for food to survive," she told Reuters.

Is this a premonition for Pattaya 2021?

2 hours ago, stouricks said:

So they are neutralising the monkeys so they cannot breed.

That's generally the idea behind sterilization. 

Genocide of pests? Wish they'd do the same to the stray dogs and cats. 

Monkeys Lives Matter...

4 hours ago, stouricks said:

So they are neutralising the monkeys so they cannot breed. Is this not classed as genocide? Why not jump one step and eliminate the living ones?

The sterilization of these macaques is necessary for public safety and health reasons. There are just too many.. I believe the parks department knows the population of this species in Thailand and it can hardly be called genocide.

Genocide:

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

"a campaign of genocide"

4 hours ago, stouricks said:

That is EIGHT per day.

Monkey business takes time.

next  govt  ministers starting  with  party  leaders,  just  two  bricks will  save  time????

11 hours ago, baansgr said:

Could they do something similar with the stray dogs

Police too.

maybe they should remove all wild animals without an owner that are not in zoo's or national parks

 

nahhhhhhhhhhhhh, TIT

6 hours ago, bodga said:

next  govt  ministers starting  with  party  leaders,  just  two  bricks will  save  time????

I am told it only hurts if your Thumbs become trapped

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai vets perform mass sterilization as hungry monkeys terrorize tourist city

I can understand the long term benefits, but what about the numbers that are uncontrolled now?

So sterilizing them will stop them being hungry, have to try that on the wife!

17 hours ago, stouricks said:

That is EIGHT per day.

Well, you know what they say, snip, snip and Bob's  your auntie.......

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai vets perform mass sterilization as hungry monkeys terrorize tourist city

Now that's a laugh. That ain't going to feed them. 

Whilst they had them why didn't they Exterminate them ,

Then they wouldn't be hungry and harass people. 

Then they could start on the Soi Dogs. Less trouble for the population and safer to walk/ride on the roads footpaths and in front of shops.

Meatballs and rice served to all participants...????

Humankind should take lessons from nature. If you feed them, they will breed and grow...

22 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Is this a premonition for Pattaya 2021?

As a friend of mine used to say "Too many monkeys, not enough bananas."

Edited June 24, 20206 yr by neverere
spelling error.

5 hours ago, digger70 said:

Now that's a laugh. That ain't going to feed them. 

Whilst they had them why didn't they Exterminate them ,

Then they wouldn't be hungry and harass people. 

Then they could start on the Soi Dogs. Less trouble for the population and safer to walk/ride on the roads footpaths and in front of shops.

I think you will find that Thailand is a largely Buddhist country. 

22 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Is this a premonition for Pattaya 2021?

 

Not necessarily. The average age of the local expat probably means they are already shooting blanks.

I was in lopburi last week and lived there a few years ago working at a school directly across from the monkey temple. Rarely did foreigners feed those monkeys when I lived there. They get their food in bulk dumped at a small shrine just for them. 

My recent trip there I saw no change. There were even some tourists there. None of which were feeding monkeys. In past experience, if you walked around that area with something in your hand, the monkeys swarmed you alarmingly.. If you fed them or had food in your hands, they jumped you and climbed you or pulled at you. Not inductive to a tourist who is visiting and never had so many monkeys wild near them. 

I say all of this because I think the news about these monkeys recently using the lack of tourism is a farce. 

When I was there last week. The monkeys were passive.. Even a little afraid or angry when I walked to closely to them on the street. But they didn't act hungry or seem to have more monkeys from many years ago. There was a ton of food at the shrine as well and not many monkeys eating which makes me believe they had their fill and didn't need more. I did see about one in 20 with newborns being breastfed their milk though. 

16 hours ago, neverere said:

I think you will find that Thailand is a largely Buddhist country. 

Yea ,That's the big problem,Can't kill / euthanize a Poor suffering dying old dog /animal, Or Cleaning up the country that's run a Riot with dirty Flea bitten/ Tick Loaded /Mange riddled Soi Dogs/cats/monkeys/rats. 

But Every one can Drive like a Maniac/shoot/stab/kill People and no worry in the world . ????