Long known as a tourist attraction for its wild macaques, Lopburi is now facing a critical situation as thousands of monkeys have overpowered the city, leading to the closures of shops and a stark decline in commerce and tourism.
The simian swarm, estimated at 3,500 strong, has not only discouraged visitors but also propelled investors to withdraw their interests. Locals tell of deserted streets as the city grapples with the new reality.
Business owners and residents are in distress with some choosing to leave the city, while others remain barricaded in their homes to fend off the aggressive monkeys. “We live in a cage but the monkeys live outside,” says Kuljira Taechawattanawanna, a Lopburi resident, in an interview with AFP, emphasizing the severity of the situation as homeowners are forced to reinforce their living spaces against the onslaught.
Authorities have had to establish exclusion zones within Lopburi to contain the conflicts arising from rival monkey factions vying for dominance. Initially, locals attempted to appease the monkeys with junk food offerings. However, this strategy has evidently backfired, with the high-sugar diet—consisting of sweets, fizzy drinks, and cereal—only exacerbating the monkeys’ hyperactivity and increasing their aggression.
According to Suttipong Kamtaptim, from the Department of National Parks, the sugary diet is believed to enhance the monkeys’ breeding, further complicating the control efforts. “Sugary foods can increase the productivity of the monkeys and stimulate the monkeys to reproduce more,” he explains.
As Lopburi confronts this growing crisis, measures are being considered to restore order and safety in the city. The plight of the locals underlines the critical balance between wildlife interaction and urban life, a harmony that Lopburi has lost to its marauding macaques.
