18-11-2024 (BANGKOK) More than 200 macaques orchestrated a dramatic escape from a public monkey sanctuary in Thailand’s historic city of Lopburi, leading to chaos in local neighbourhoods and even a peculiar siege of the local police station.
The mass breakout occurred on Saturday evening at the Pho Kao Ton Monkey Sanctuary when the primates discovered and exploited weaknesses in their aging enclosures. The escapees quickly made their presence felt throughout the ancient city, with some boldly venturing into residential areas and, in a particularly audacious move, invading the Tha Hin Police Station, forcing officers to barricade themselves inside.
Known colloquially as “Monkey City,” Lopburi has long grappled with its simian residents. Prior to recent control measures, the city was home to approximately 3,500 macaques, whose increasingly aggressive behaviour – including attacking humans and ransacking buildings – had become a significant concern for local residents.
Local authorities have responded swiftly to the latest incident, repairing the damaged enclosures and setting up numerous traps to recapture the escaped primates. The sanctuary’s regular feeding programme, supplemented by weekly fresh fruit and vegetable offerings from nearby temples, has already proved effective in luring some of the escapees back. As of Sunday, approximately 40 monkeys had voluntarily returned to their enclosure.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by this historic city in managing its monkey population. Previous initiatives had led to the capture and sterilisation of 1,600 macaques, housed within the sanctuary as part of broader efforts to control the population and reduce conflicts with humans.
Municipal officials are now working to expedite the safe return of the remaining escaped monkeys to restore order to the city’s streets.
