Thai police forms special unit to tackle aggressive monkey menace

[webfact]

 

In the central plains province of Lop Buri, Thailand, a special police unit has been established to apprehend aggressive macaque monkeys causing havoc for the local populace.

 

The head of the Lop Buri Provincial Police, 45 year old Apirak Vetkanchana, gave orders to 38 year old Kantaphon Wanna, the superintendent of Tha Hin Police, to organise a monkey suppression unit. This unit started its operations yesterday.

 

Apirak sanctioned the acquisition of slingshots for the police officers to defend against the hostile monkeys. Previously, the police used sedatives to tame the monkeys, however, the animals would become dormant only after five minutes, providing them ample time to escape to various locations, including rooftops of buildings, thereby endangering people.

 

Locals have shown positive response towards the operation on its very first day. This initiative was taken following Saturday’s agreement by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to recompense individuals who have been attacked by macaques. This decision is in response to the increasing number of incidents in Lop Buri, including at least three major cases this month.

Over 10 officials from Wildlife Conservation Office 1 in Saraburi have been stationed to handle the monkey menace around the Provincial Agriculture and Cooperatives Office on Ratchadamnoen Road in Tambon Tha Hin. This area is notorious for monkeys swiping belongings from pedestrians. The officials have set up cages throughout the region and successfully trapped nine monkeys yesterday and another seven today.

Wildlife conservation director, Sutthipong Kaemtubtim, confirmed that the 18 captured monkeys were transported to a wildlife clinic in Saraburi for health assessments. After the health check, the monkeys will be relocated to a suitable place for approximately two months before being returned to Lop Buri.

 

The Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is contemplating potential solutions to the monkey problem, including the possibility of housing them in a zoo. On Wednesday, DNP officials positioned additional cages on Ratchadamnoen Road and captured five more monkeys, reported Bangkok Post.

 

The monkey problem in Lop Buri has been persisting for several years, with a recent study documenting a population of 5,709 macaques living wildly in the province in 2023. The macaques are safeguarded by the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.

 

by Mitch Connor

Top Picture courtesy of Tha Hin police station

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-28

 

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[keith101]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

18 captured monkeys were transported to a wildlife clinic in Saraburi for health assessments

Hopefully also sterilized 

 

[brianthainess]

Taser them or use real bullets. Sadly, Tis the only way. 

[drrobert]

Not sure why we need to know the age of the police officers but this now seems to be a trend of the reporters.

[PJ71]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

organise a monkey suppression unit

this has got to be up there with the best of them - comedy gold!

[newbee2022]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

In the central plains province of Lop Buri, Thailand, a special police unit has been established to apprehend aggressive macaque monkeys causing havoc for the local populace.

 

The head of the Lop Buri Provincial Police, 45 year old Apirak Vetkanchana, gave orders to 38 year old Kantaphon Wanna, the superintendent of Tha Hin Police, to organise a monkey suppression unit. This unit started its operations yesterday.

 

Apirak sanctioned the acquisition of slingshots for the police officers to defend against the hostile monkeys. Previously, the police used sedatives to tame the monkeys, however, the animals would become dormant only after five minutes, providing them ample time to escape to various locations, including rooftops of buildings, thereby endangering people.

 

Locals have shown positive response towards the operation on its very first day. This initiative was taken following Saturday’s agreement by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to recompense individuals who have been attacked by macaques. This decision is in response to the increasing number of incidents in Lop Buri, including at least three major cases this month.

Over 10 officials from Wildlife Conservation Office 1 in Saraburi have been stationed to handle the monkey menace around the Provincial Agriculture and Cooperatives Office on Ratchadamnoen Road in Tambon Tha Hin. This area is notorious for monkeys swiping belongings from pedestrians. The officials have set up cages throughout the region and successfully trapped nine monkeys yesterday and another seven today.

Wildlife conservation director, Sutthipong Kaemtubtim, confirmed that the 18 captured monkeys were transported to a wildlife clinic in Saraburi for health assessments. After the health check, the monkeys will be relocated to a suitable place for approximately two months before being returned to Lop Buri.

 

The Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is contemplating potential solutions to the monkey problem, including the possibility of housing them in a zoo. On Wednesday, DNP officials positioned additional cages on Ratchadamnoen Road and captured five more monkeys, reported Bangkok Post.

 

The monkey problem in Lop Buri has been persisting for several years, with a recent study documenting a population of 5,709 macaques living wildly in the province in 2023. The macaques are safeguarded by the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.

 

by Mitch Connor

Top Picture courtesy of Tha Hin police station

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-28

 

- Discover how Cigna Insurance can protect you with a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment. For more information on expat health insurance click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe
 

How can they find out who is who🤣

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In the central plains province of Lop Buri, Thailand, a special police unit has been established to apprehend aggressive macaque monkeys causing havoc for the local populace

.22, silent, effective.

[nobodysfriend]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

5,709 macaques living wildly in the province in 2023

ilIegal entry ?

of foreign origin ?

begging for food ?

Revoke their permission to stay ( Visa ) , and send them all to Switzerland .

Monkey business .

[Rampant Rabbit]

wonder how long the locals have been feeding them!!

[scorecard]

7 hours ago, keith101 said:

Hopefully also sterilized 

 

Surely the gov't wildlife agencies should be taking care of this issue, not the mainstream police. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

When I was a young RAF airman I was stationed at Butterworh airbase in Malaya. One of our number owned a macaque which was anchored by a waist belt to a cable stretched between two palms. The beast frequently broke free and attacked and bit airmen. Reluctantly, the owner accepted the monkey had to go.

He made a small cage and secured the monkey on the pillion of his motorcycle, left the base and drove north about 20 klicks and released the animal into the roadside forest where in scampered away into the trees.

Returning to base he dismounted to find the monkey sitting on the pillion, snarling and raising its eyebrows.

Then it bit him.🤣

[digger70]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Apirak sanctioned the acquisition of slingshots for the police officers to defend against the hostile monkeys. Previously, the police used sedatives to tame the monkeys, however, the animals would become dormant only after five minutes, providing them ample time to escape to various locations, including rooftops of buildings, thereby endangering people.

This will work for a few days than the Vermin will Smarten up and be More dangerous. A special unit is Needed to Eradicate the Vermin not Teasing the Vermin with Toy Slingshots Because if they hurt the Vermin then there will be a big Outcry Animal Cruelty.

[nobodysfriend]

13 minutes ago, digger70 said:

This will work for a few days than the Vermin will Smarten up and be More dangerous. A special unit is Needed to Eradicate the Vermin not Teasing the Vermin with Toy Slingshots Because if they hurt the Vermin then there will be a big Outcry Animal Cruelty.

 

Vermin supreme ...

 

 

[khaowong1]

11 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Taser them or use real bullets. Sadly, Tis the only way. 

With over 5,000 monkeys running around in Lopburi, I see no other recourse.  The population has got out of hand.. 

[Nickcage49]

Are they going to put cuffs on them?

[spidermike007]

Arrest the monkeys, charge them with unnecessary aggression and bad behavior, these monkeys are even worse than the foreigners, we must wrestle control of the monkeys. 

[mania]

Good Monkeys In

Bad Monkeys Out! 😉 

 

 

[thesetat]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

This area is notorious for monkeys swiping belongings from pedestrians. The officials have set up cages throughout the region and successfully trapped nine monkeys yesterday and another seven today.

With over 5000 monkeys there they only managed to capture 18 in 2 days. I think they must have captured the really desperate ones that were not so smart. Either that or they need more traps. But I think the monkeys will be smart enough to learn to stay away from the traps in time. What good is a monkey suppression unit that is armed with slingshots? How can they think they would be able to capture those aggressive monkeys after shooting them with a slingshot? The monkey will surely run away if hit. A waste of money with little to no results. 

[JimHuaHin]

This may not end well for the Thai police.

[sirineou]

The police is not monkeying around. Or are they?

[bamnutsak]

Interesting that Thai authorities utilize water canons, tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammo, and the occasional chair and rope to "control" citizens during protests.

 

But with monkeys, they get all Buddhist-y and use slingshots.

 

And of course there are two monkey gangs.

 

 

 

 

[Deserted]

I blame farang for this. It was them who started monkeying around first, then other species started picking up on it.