LOPBURI May 25 (TNA) — The authorities in Lopburi on Friday restarted the operation to catch and relocate the monkeys after the first batch of 27 monkeys was sent to stay at an extra large cage last week.
The Department of National parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation restarted the major monkey catching operation, starting on Friday. Three large cages are placed at three different locations- in front of Lopburi Asia Hotel, the building next to Rachanusorn Park and between Café Amazon and Yongsawat gold shop.
The cage is 1.8 meters high and 15 meters wide. The foods were placed inside each cage to lure the monkeys and then they would be transferred to smaller cages before transfering to Pho Khao Ton Monkey Shelter or behavior modification.
However, there were some clever monkeys that let the smaller monkeys to snatch the food inside the cage for them while they were waiting outside the cage to avoid the risk to be capture inside the cage. Some monkeys waited until the authorities unguarded and steal the rambutan so that the authorities have to place the new bait and wait nearby.
After they are captured, the troublesome primates, turn into drowsily monkeys because of the tranquilizer which would be given to them before sterilization. They will later be released at Pho Khao Ton Monkey Shelter.
Specialized veterinarian of the Department of National Parks, Pattarapol Manee-orn said there was no target for the operation on Friday but from Friday to Tuesday, all monkeys in this zone would be cleared. The cages were placed since Thursday to allow the monkeys to get use to them. He said monkey is a clever animal, if they move to other zone, the authorities plan to move the cage to the zone.
The residents in this area face more hardship from the monkeys that getting more and more unruly behavior. The numbers of the offspring are increasing and the overpopulation of the monkeys spread all over the streets. Some monkeys have aggressive behavior, damage valuable things, pulling down the roof, sign boards and vinyl.
On Friday, the authorities could manage to capture 33 monkeys apart from the first batch of 27 monkeys. The groups of ring-leaders, after seven days of detention, have inproving behavior. They are less aggressive, running around and eat normally.
Veterinarian Pattarapol urged the public to refrain from giving food to the monkeys as the authorities would work easily to catch them. It would be good for the monkeys when they received the tranquilizer before the sterilization. (TNA).-813
