Monkey brawl shocks Lop Buri – VIDEO

Central Thailand’s Lop Buri province was a battleground yesterday, with fierce skirmishes raging through city streets. Fortunately no casualties were reported. No human ones, anyway. Rival monkey gangs took to the streets and brawled for hours. Lopburi is home to two monkey clubs, with thousands of members: city monkeys and temple monkeys.

The temple monkeys control the area around Phra Prang Sam Yod, an ancient Hindu shrine, while the rival gang controls the city streets. The zones are divided by the northern train track.

Normally the two camps do not encroach on one another’s turf.

Locals residents offered different theories for the brawl. Some pointed to the scorching heat, saying that might have made them hot-tempered, while others believe they were fighting over food.

A taxi motorcyclist told Thai Rath online that he saw the leader of the temple monkeys leading members into the area controlled by the city gang to take food at a market. The city chief then fought back, leading the intruders to retreat to their home turf.

A woman told Thai Rath online that the temple monkeys didn’t have enough food and decided to take to the streets to meet their needs.

Somchai Unakong, a local resident, said he saw the incident as a bad omen for the country — the 75-year-old man said it was like nothing he had ever seen before before.

“Did this relate to the Covid-19 virus that is spreading? I wondered.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post