Officials of Hat Chao Mai national park in Trang province have been considering how to deal with about 400 long-tailed macaques which are not just a nuisance but have become increasingly aggressive, posing a threat to tourists and vendors alike.

Vendors doing business on Yoong Ling beach which is located in the park have been complaining about these monkeys stealing food, snatching food from tourists and climbing on the cars of tourists visiting the beach. They have called on park officials to deal with these trouble-making monkeys.

Reporters who recently visited the beach said that whenever a car arrives at the beach, the monkeys will rush to it hoping they will be fed by the tourists. Some tourists were scared away by their aggressive approach, they added.

Mr Manote Wongsureerat, the park chief, admitted that the long-tailed macaques are increasingly causing more troubles to the extent that they pose a threat to Hoy Tapao conservation zone which is next to the park.

He said the monkeys would search for food in garbage bins if they are no tourists around.

While there is no long-term solution to the problem, he said, initially, no garbage bins would be placed on the beach and tourists would be given plastic bags to contain their leftover food or garbage so that the monkeys will be denied access to food.

Meanwhile, the park chief said the official are studying the monkeys' behavior and would consult experts.

He disclosed that there are about ten groups of monkeys each numbering about 40 in the park and they are usually afraid of park officials but not with the tourists.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

By tladmin