Monkeying around
While Thailand is an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, it has long assimilated Hindu traditions and lore from its pre-Buddhist era. As a result monkeys are afforded a special place in Thai hearts thanks to the heroic Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Thousands of the fearless primates rule the streets around the Pra Prang Sam Yod temple in the center of Lopburi. The town has been laying on an annual feast of fruit for its population of macaques since the late 1980s, part religious tradition and part tourist attraction. But the monkeys growing numbers, vandalism and mob fights have made an uneasy coexistence with their human neighbors almost intolerable. Local beliefs do not allow killing the monkeys.
Police in central Thailand said they barricaded themselves into their own station over the weekend, after a menacing mob of 200 escaped monkeys ran riot on the town. The human inhabitants of Lopburi have long suffered from a growing and aggressive monkey population and authorities have built special enclosures to contain groups of the unruly residents. But on Saturday around 200 of the primates broke out of their cages and rampaged through town, with one posse descending on a local police station. “We’ve had to make sure doors and windows are closed to prevent them from entering the building for food,” police captain Somchai Seedee told AFP on Monday. He was concerned the marauders could destroy property including police documents, he added. Down in the streets, hapless police and local authorities were working to round up rogue individuals, luring them away from residential areas with food.
The human inhabitants of Lopburi have long suffered from a growing and aggressive monkey population and authorities have built special enclosures to contain groups of the unruly residents. But on Saturday around 200 of the primates broke out and rampaged through town, with one posse descending on a local police station. “We’ve had to make sure doors and windows are closed to prevent them from entering the building for food,” police captain Somchai Seedee said on Monday. He was concerned the marauders could destroy property including police documents.
Rampaging monkey gangs are terrorizing a Thai tourist town, causing cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquilizer guns to combat the ‘dangerous’ primates. Despite the dangers, locals are keen to keep the monkeys in the town as they prove a popular draw for tourists from around the world who feed them sugary treats. The Thai government is struggling to control its macaque problem but has taken steps to manage the monkey population across the country, including creating sanctuaries, mass sterilization programs, and relocating them to more suitable habitats.
Going Ape with friends
At the social security office: “What is your occupation sir?”
“I used to be an organist.”
“And why did you give it up?”
“I had to, the monkey died.”
In the 1960’s it was said that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare. Today, thanks to social media, we know that is not true.
My brother recently adopted a chimp.
So now I am a monkey’s uncle.
What do you call a Polish ape?
A Chimpanski.
November 21st Birthdays
1985 – Jena Malone, 1946 – Goldie Hawn, 1938 – Marlo Thomas, 1964 – Nicolette Sheridan
1967 – Troy Aikman, 1969 – Ken Griffey, Jr., 1971 – Michael Strahan, 1951 – John Kennedy