Bangkok's monkey population evicted to new homes in Ratchaburi wilderness

[webfact]

Bangkok's monkey population evicted to new homes in Ratchaburi wilderness



BANGKOK: -- The long standing conflict between hundreds of residents in Bangkok's Bang Kradi community of Bang Khun Thien district and some 400 macaque monkeys was partly resolved after national park and wildlife conservation authorities decided to force evacuate the animals to new homes in the wilderness of Ratchaburi province.

Yesterday some 80 monkeys were caught in a month long attempt to lure them into a huge cage where fruits were put as baits.

The mission was conducted by authorities from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) and the target is at the Bang Kradi community in Moo 8 of Samae Dam subdistrict, Bang Khun Thian district in the southern part of Bangkok.

Authorities said they received latest complaints a few months ago that hundreds of macaques have been causing local residents even more hardships although this has happened over a decade but nothing had been done so far to ease the situation.

Public hearings were called twice between all concerned government agencies and environmentalists, and community residents. They all agreed that the macaques have to be evacuated to new homes in Ratchaburi.

The situation in this community was worsened to the extent that here monkeys could go free and residents have to stay in cages as their homes will be fixed with fences which can prevent monkeys from entering to ransack their houses for food, damaging properties and sometimes assaulting the aged and the children.

The operation then started early this month bringing with them a 2X2-metre cage that was 20 metres long.

They left the cage in the middle of the community, leaving fruits for the monkeys every morning since September 5 to make the monkeys acquainted with the entry to the cage to eat the fruits inside.

Residents were also instructed to advise tourists not to feed the monkeys at random but put in the cage so as to attract them to the cage.

It was until yesterday that the D-day started.

DNP director general Niphon Chotiban said a total of 80 monkeys were trapped in the cage yesterday.

They would be sent to the Phan Thai Norasing wildlife sanctuary in Samut Sakhon province where they would be first undergone health examinations and size determination to make sure they are healthy and not disease carriers before they would be freed into the wilderness.

He said the monkeys would then be separated into two groups, where one group would be moved to the Khao Son wildlife breeding centre in Ratchaburi province, while the other group would be delivered to the Kon Khun Kala island in Bang Khun Thian district.

A veterinarian said birth control was first tested but it was not successful not only because of the hefty cost of 500 baht for a male monkey or 1,000 baht for a female monkey, but also from changing behaviour of the animal.

She said veterinarian used to conduct surgical sterilisation on the leader male monkey by cutting its sex organ to curb overpopulation of monkeys.

But it turned out that the behaviour of the male monkey turned to act like female and the new leader will come to take the leader role of the herd.

Therefore veterinarians are trying other method to control its population, one of which was to evacuate them to other places though Bang Kradi used to be the animal’s inhabitant long ago, but later invaded by the people.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkoks-monkey-population-evicted-to-new-homes-in-ratchaburi-wilderness

-- Thai PBS 2015-09-22

[ezzra]

Such topic just begging for a wise ass cracks to be made, albeit risky of offending the real monkeys....

[Just1Voice]

"She said veterinarian used to conduct surgical sterilisation on the leader male monkey by cutting its sex organ to curb overpopulation of monkeys.

But it turned out that the behaviour of the male monkey turned to act like female and the new leader will come to take the leader role of the herd."

So them made katoey's out of them.

[Wildliferescue]

It is very clear that the authorities are not ready to take care of these monkeys. Their wildlife breeding centres are currently over populated, and cages are 4x4 meters in size only, not a place for wild monkeys to be taken in to. The chance that these macaques will ever be released back to the wild somewhere else is very small. Several Thai wildlife conservation NGO's have asked for an explanation and asked for access to check on the wellbeing of the caught monkeys, but no access is granted to anyone, including media, to see where and how they will be kept. A pity that the media only shows one side of the story and does not ask questions about future actions. Veterinarians are by the way wrong in their statement, spaying the females is the best way out, without any complications. If this wildlife management would have been enforced years ago, we would now not have any troubles with these large groups of semi-wild monkeys in cities around Thailand.

Edwin Wiek

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)

Edited September 22, 2015 by Wildliferescue

[klauskunkel]

Hah, that's just like transferring misbehaving officials to somewhere else.

[masuk]

"She said veterinarian used to conduct surgical sterilisation on the leader male monkey by cutting its sex organ to curb overpopulation of monkeys.

But it turned out that the behaviour of the male monkey turned to act like female and the new leader will come to take the leader role of the herd."

So them made katoey's out of them.

It seems that a vasectomy is the answer, and not the 'cutting of an organ'.

That way the ringleader is still sexually active, but he's only firing blanks.

It's a wonder that the Thai RSPCA hasn't raised a complaint. (there is an RSPCA isn't there??)

[kannot]

Jesus, they kill everything else to eat, I bet if the locals started slaughtering them the monkeys would, bugger off themselves pretty damn quick. Its only because the locals havent bashed them that they know they can do what they want like naughty kids.

Monkeys need to know the pecking order, on top of that i bet many locals were stupid enough to feed them like the dogs thus exacerbating the problem, more food more breeding.

[FangFerang]

The monkeys, long reported to be "watermelon monkeys", are nwo being moved to an inactive post. The monkeys were also reported to be "mango monkeys", "banana monkeys" and the famously odoriferous "durian monkeys".

[overherebc]

Heard a story in Malaysia about getting monkeys out of your neighbourhood by catching one in a cage and spraying it with bright vegetable dye a few colours. When you let it go the other monkeys run from it, it keeps following they keep running. Eventually the dye disappears but by that time the monkeys are in someone elses area and no longer your problem.

True/False ? I don't know.

[monkey4u]

Hah, that's just like transferring misbehaving officials to somewhere else.

It works for the government officials that stuff up

[ironbark]

These monkeys are very territorial. Releasing them into another groups territory is going to cause enormous conflict with a lot of injury and death.

Managed and humane culling to reduce the population to more natural levels is a far better solution.

[maidee]

could have sold in the local street food vendors

meat on a stick ? (rat, monkey, chicken, dog, cat...)

[Monkeyrobot]

Taken for attitude adjustment.

[NoshowJones]

Hah, that's just like transferring misbehaving officials to somewhere else.

and there is more of them than the monkeys.

[Brer Fox]

could have sold in the local street food vendors

meat on a stick ? (rat, monkey, chicken, dog, cat...)

Export them to Vietnam where they would be regarded a delicacy.

[jacky54]

There is a bridge there called sapan ling with tourist signs to off rama2, it and even a statue of a monkey and road signs to take care not running them over. Now they are moving them? never heard about any complaints, they would be better employed rounding up a few hundred soi dogs,

[Dibbler]

Just like misbehaving civil servants, when causing trouble in one place, they transfer the monkeys to a new home where they continue to cause trouble.

[NickJ]

Anybody see the TV commercials where the para millitary wild life protection squad bend head over heels in through the jungle to rescue a cute racoon like creature?....It only took em ten years to try and aid an entire neighborhood of monkeys going after old people and kids..........These monkeys carry a lethal herpes like virus, very dangerous.

[phitsanulokjohn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maRanuCqY64

[Thongkorn]

If they release them in the Jungles they will probably die, other monkeys will attack them because they are very territorial.Hope they survive though.

[sawadee1947]

"She said veterinarian used to conduct surgical sterilisation on the leader male monkey by cutting its sex organ to curb overpopulation of monkeys.

But it turned out that the behaviour of the male monkey turned to act like female and the new leader will come to take the leader role of the herd."

So them made katoey's out of them.

we are talking about animals, right?

Can we do such "operation" to other "leaders" as well?

[fred Kubasa]

Did they check Parliment ?

[vincentc]

birth control was not pursued due to the hefty cost of 500THB per ape.

So they caught 80 of them. Is there really nobody out there that wants to donate 40k-80k max baht for a proper solution?

Edited September 22, 2015 by vincentc

[John1012]

Moved to an inactive post like all the other monkeys.

[NOC]

Mods! For the record, I'm not saying anything. You owe me one!

Edited September 22, 2015 by NOC

[NOC]

These monkeys are very territorial. Releasing them into another groups territory is going to cause enormous conflict with a lot of injury and death.

Managed and humane culling to reduce the population to more natural levels is a far better solution.

......

[Alwyn]

Such topic just begging for a wise ass cracks to be made, albeit risky of offending the real monkeys....

So t5his must be all the staff that were working in the massage parlours closed down by the Junta I guess?

[springheeled jack]

if all the males were sterilised there wouldn't be this problem of over population it would be better in the long term and an easy controllable situation .

[willyumiii]

Authorities said they received latest complaints a few months ago that hundreds of macaques have been causing local residents even more hardships although this has happened over a decade but nothing had been done so far to ease the situation.

Hundreds of monkeys are causing problems...so they are relocating eighty of the monkeys???

Does anyone else think that this is not a solution?

The remaining monkeys will continue to breed and the eighty shipped away will be replaced in no time.

I bet the monkeys are pleased with the free food delivery that has been provided!

[ToddinChonburi]

Monkeys lives matter