Large Visiting Monkey

[tim armstrong]

The latest addition to our small bit of Thailand is a very large, maybe 8-10 kgs monkey, who like clockwork arrives around 3.30pm to be fed bananas or nuts. I'm a bit cautious about encouraging him, because I don't want his relatives as well. He is very healthy looking, watchful, but not afraid. He seems to be alone, but has either been living in the small bit of forest/jungle next door, or has come from the nearest place with monkeys - a temple about 10klms away. I'm also cautious about the disease potential and their unpredictable moods, especially having been bitten by one a few years ago on Bali.

On the positive side he is no bother - yet. So, is this wise and/or are there nasty diseases that I should consider? One good thing, the family tell me that Thais will not kill or eat monkeys, unlike the fate of a cobra caught yesterday.

[IanForbes]

I wouldn''t encourage it, Tim. I don't know about disease, but monkeys are very smart and it might be the start of something you don't want. They steal and get up to no good if they aren't watched all the time. They can be a REAL pest wherever they start being unafraid of humans.

[JurgenG]

^ Agree. Monkey can be very ennoying and can quickly become aggressive if they don't get what they want.

I remember a temple with a lot of monkeys. The food vendors around the temple were using big stuffed crocodile to scare away the monkeys. It was amazingly efficient !

[JurgenG]

/

Edited November 17, 2010 by bina
offensive post edited out, also the answer.

[dave2]

i agree with jergeng

re .... Agree. Monkey can be very ennoying and can quickly become aggressive if they don't get what they want

i was in phnom penh cambodia in july 07 when a large one appeared on a roof opposite to where i was staying..... nice i thought take pic : )

then four more appeared and started to try the windows / doors of the buildings by shaking them violently : (

in minits the kids / mum arrived and they all tried to get in the other buildings all around me : (

not good ... dave2 ... shut in his room holding on to all his cameras and computer like grim death

my advice ... stop with the nuts / bananas asap : (

[dave2]

sorry cocked up on one pic twice

dave2

[james24]

I always admire the westerners that can live in jungle surroundings in Thailand. The thought of finding an <deleted> cobra in my house is enough to keep me renting a small condo.

Good luck with the monkeys but agreed, when they are not scared of humans they are a pain. I have family in Gibralter and the monkeys on the rock are a nightmare.

[bina]

I always admire the westerners that can live in jungle surroundings in Thailand. The thought of finding an <deleted> cobra in my house is enough to keep me renting a small condo.

Good luck with the monkeys but agreed, when they are not scared of humans they are a pain. I have family in Gibralter and the monkeys on the rock are a nightmare.

ive worked with a baboon, a spider monkey and squirrel monkeys , gibbons, and some other smaller monkeys. i dislike them all. duaghter works with large primates. she loves them. from personal experience, NEVER EVER FEED WILD ANIMALS including cute baby monkeys. they misread your intents, and adult monkeys for instance can be very territorial and very dangerous. they can find their own food or scavenge if they must. by feeding u are causeing a potentially long term problem, if u have a child that is in teh area or a visiter that wont feed, if someoen smiles (some primates see a smile as an aggressive expression -baring teeth) . a monkey, up close to a woman in menstruation can get very bothersome to her (they smell it and the hormones act on them also),

monkey bites can be very very serious. they go for the face usually, and can cause infection and scarring.

as far as diseases, some breeds actually get human illnesses from us, like chickenpox, just for them it can be fatal, there are several otehrs as well. some breeds of large primates carry HEP B. they have dirty hands/fingernails so scratches as well as bites are a problem.

in other words: DO NOT FEED THE WILD ANIMALS. be territorial about your house and yard. do not leave food out. do not leave a possibility for the monkey to go in to your house . do not try to temp the onkey to go somewhere else by using food. it wont work. ignore. do not respond to bids for attention as they learn very quickly. monkeys take personal likes and dislikes to others, including humans, very personally. they differentiate between male/female, young, older, dominant, submissive among people also.

my personal advice.

bina

israel

[zorro1]

stay away. A lady sunbathing 5 meters from my bungalow on Phi phi ( east of the wharf) got a nasty bite trying to shoo away a family of 5 who popped out the bush. They are pound for pound much much stronger than us. Think of them like pit bulls but wild

This was an attack by a pet chimp in the USA

Edited November 17, 2010 by zorro1

[Beetlejuice]

I always admire the westerners that can live in jungle surroundings in Thailand. The thought of finding an <deleted> cobra in my house is enough to keep me renting a small condo.

Good luck with the monkeys but agreed, when they are not scared of humans they are a pain. I have family in Gibralter and the monkeys on the rock are a nightmare.

ive worked with a baboon, a spider monkey and squirrel monkeys , gibbons, and some other smaller monkeys. i dislike them all. duaghter works with large primates. she loves them. from personal experience, NEVER EVER FEED WILD ANIMALS including cute baby monkeys. they misread your intents, and adult monkeys for instance can be very territorial and very dangerous. they can find their own food or scavenge if they must. by feeding u are causeing a potentially long term problem, if u have a child that is in teh area or a visiter that wont feed, if someoen smiles (some primates see a smile as an aggressive expression -baring teeth) . a monkey, up close to a woman in menstruation can get very bothersome to her (they smell it and the hormones act on them also),

monkey bites can be very very serious. they go for the face usually, and can cause infection and scarring.

as far as diseases, some breeds actually get human illnesses from us, like chickenpox, just for them it can be fatal, there are several otehrs as well. some breeds of large primates carry HEP B. they have dirty hands/fingernails so scratches as well as bites are a problem.

in other words: DO NOT FEED THE WILD ANIMALS. be territorial about your house and yard. do not leave food out. do not leave a possibility for the monkey to go in to your house . do not try to temp the onkey to go somewhere else by using food. it wont work. ignore. do not respond to bids for attention as they learn very quickly. monkeys take personal likes and dislikes to others, including humans, very personally. they differentiate between male/female, young, older, dominant, submissive among people also.

my personal advice.

bina

israel

Well, if you`re worked with primates in the past, you should now have plenty of experience dealing with us Thai visa members.

[IanForbes]

Well, if you`re worked with primates in the past, you should now have plenty of experience dealing with us Thai visa members.

That is why Bina is one of the better moderators.

[canuckamuck]

Actually I have a Lahu friend who thinks monkeys are aroi mak.

But I have to agree with the other posters. If there was a monkey hanging around my house, I would make sure it knew it was unwanted, and I would never feed them.

When they start stealing your stuff and wrecking things, you will know why.

Edited November 18, 2010 by canuckamuck

[Crossy]

I agree with the above sentiments, monkeys are not welcome visitors, too intelligent for their own good.

[needforspeed]

Actually I have a Lahu friend who thinks monkeys are aroi mak.

But I have to agree with the other posters. If there was a monkey hanging around my house, I would make sure it knew it was unwanted, and I would never feed them.

When they start stealing your stuff and wrecking things, you will know why.

Can your Lahu friend send us the recipe from this monkey dish .

[dave111223]

ive worked with a baboon, a spider monkey and squirrel monkeys , gibbons, and some other smaller monkeys. i dislike them all.

Sounds like you've worked for some of the same companies as me.

[tim armstrong]

Thanks to you all for the good advice. I think I just needed to hear someone say all that. If you like animals, as I do, I guess you're inclined to be a bit soft, even though you really know the risks. I know about domestic animals, but for sure, not much about monkeys. I will stop feeding him and hope he moves on.

[james24]

orangatangs seem to be alright... are they...?

[Pacificperson]

Tim,

Be careful for the next few days. He is already used to being fed, and may get nasty if his expectations are not met. Also being a mammal, I would think that monkeys can carry rabies.

[canuckamuck]

Actually I have a Lahu friend who thinks monkeys are aroi mak.

But I have to agree with the other posters. If there was a monkey hanging around my house, I would make sure it knew it was unwanted, and I would never feed them.

When they start stealing your stuff and wrecking things, you will know why.

Can your Lahu friend send us the recipe from this monkey dish .

Sorry, I have lost touch with him in the last year, but I am pretty sure it would have been a local dish with monkey substituted for whatever meat. He never made it for me.

[tim armstrong]

Tim,

Be careful for the next few days. He is already used to being fed, and may get nasty if his expectations are not met. Also being a mammal, I would think that monkeys can carry rabies.

Thanks PP,

I thought of that one. With pre-Chinese New Year celebrations already happening in our area there are a lot of small fireworks around that if necessary I would use to frighten him. Curiously he's not been back today, - he must be a tv reader?

Maybe orangutans are different. I held the one at the Pattaya Zoo/ Gardens a while ago. Such a beautiful but sad creature.

[cdnvic]

ive worked with a baboon, a spider monkey and squirrel monkeys , gibbons, and some other smaller monkeys. i dislike them all.

Sounds like you've worked for some of the same companies as me.

[JackHughes]

The Monkeys stand for honesty,

Giraffes are insincere,

And the elephants are kindly but

They're dumb.

Orangutans are skeptical

Of changes in their cages...

Edited November 18, 2010 by JackHughes

[Payboy]

So, is this wise and/or are there nasty diseases that I should consider?

Monkeys are known carriers of rabies, blood parasites, herpes virus and simian version of malaria and dengue - to name a few.

And yes, keep your nuts safe in a sealed container.

[bunta71]

ive worked with a baboon, a spider monkey and squirrel monkeys , gibbons, and some other smaller monkeys. i dislike them all.

Sounds like you've worked for some of the same companies as me.

Checking my employee records now for names

[isanbirder]

Try visiting Lopburi if you want to know what a nuisance monkeys can be. It's the only place where I've seen monkey baffles on the TV aerials!

[keestha]

I saw many times that somewhere at the outskirts of town, close to wooded hills, monkeys can become a big nuisance, stealing food and begging sometimes aggressively. There are many of these monkeys in the forests, and some groups (?families) can become too used to being close to humans. Examples of this are Khao Takiab in Hua Hin, Khao Krajok in Prachuabkhirikhan, and various places in or at the outskirts of Phangnga Town.

Fun to watch them, but it is not unusual for tourists to get bitten by them.

[tim armstrong]

Final update. He missed his regular time yesterday, but showed up about an hour ago. Gave him a much smaller last supper. He retreated to the roof and was quietly munching the last peanut when the first rocket went off with a bang. Scared him enough that he made an olympic standard long jump to father-in-laws garage roof next door. But he then started walking back. The second rocket was louder and really shocked him this time. Away into the trees - not to be seen again.

- But I'm sure I heard him muttering, "bloody farlang, you can't trust them for a minute, unpredictable, first they feed you, then they wan't to put a rocket up your arse! No bloody way I'm going back there for a couple of bananas and a few peanuts!"

[llso]

Monkeys can be very agressive and dangerous. They usually travel in packs. Don't encourage them at all.

LL

[StreetCowboy]

Is this linked to the "how much to give to MIL" thread?

The perils of going bush...

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Rats are quite cute, and very intelligent too. Do you feed them? They share far fewer disease vectors with us than monkeys do.... And they can't type, so they don't threaten our jobs,...

Simba