Monkeys drown in water tank after food and water shortage

15 monkeys were found dead in a water tank yesterday in Songkhla, near the Malaysian border. The province’s long-tailed macaque monkeys are facing a food shortage due to the lack of tourists in the area. Officials say the monkeys found yesterday must have been thirsty when they jumped in the 3 metre deep tank and drowned.

There hasn’t been much rain in the area, and no natural water sources to speak of. The tank was initially covered, but the lid went missing. The locals plan to build concrete lids for the water tanks to ensure the incident doesn’t happen again. The monkeys live a few kilometres away around Khao Tung Kuan Hill, which is frequented by tourists. A Trip Advisor reviewer said locals call it “Monkey Mountain.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic and the international travel restrictions, monkeys in tourist spots are getting hungry. Tours in Songkhla were cancelled earlier this year. With no tourists, the monkeys in the area were getting little foods so villagers have been feeding the monkeys who had become reliant on human assistance with their daily food needs. The local mayor says there’s about 4,000 monkeys in the area.

And monkeys in Hua Hin have reportedly made their way into town, digging through trash, looking for food due to the lack of tourists feeding them.

SOURCES: Thai Residents | Trip Advisor | Khaosod English