Monkey madness: Hundreds escape cages and run riot in Lopburi
Officials scramble to recapture animals after chaotic mass breakout
Chaos erupted in Lopburi when hundreds of monkeys broke free from a shelter, invading homes, ransacking cars, and even storming a police station.
Residents of Lopburi faced a wild spectacle today, September 16, as more than 100 monkeys escaped from the Pho Kao Ton Monkey Shelter in Mueang district. The mass breakout sparked panic in the area, with troops of primates roaming the streets, invading homes, and causing mayhem near the Tha Hin Police Station.
Police officers stationed nearby were forced to fend off the unruly animals after some of them made their way onto the premises, rummaging through parked cars. Officers resorted to slingshots to drive the monkeys back toward the nursery while residents looked on in alarm.
The escape prompted Lopburi Municipality to urgently coordinate with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). Municipal staff were dispatched to recapture the animals and herd them back into their cages. Firecrackers were used to scare groups of monkeys back into the nursery grounds, though some remained at large by nightfall.
Officials are now investigating how the breakout occurred. They have yet to determine whether the monkeys managed to shake open the cages themselves or if human interference played a role. In the meantime, workers have begun repairing damaged enclosures and sealing potential escape points to prevent another incident.
The municipality stressed that the situation is being taken seriously, promising stricter measures to improve the security of the monkey nursery.
“We are reinforcing the cages and increasing monitoring to ensure this does not happen again.”
Locals, however, remain frustrated. Villagers appealed to the DNP to take greater responsibility for the welfare and control of the monkeys, which are considered protected animals. They argue that the creatures’ frequent escapes have caused repeated distress, and more oversight is urgently needed, reported Amarin TV.
“The Department of National Parks should not leave this problem to the municipality alone,” one resident told reporters. “They must come down and help manage the monkeys properly.”
The breakout adds to Lopburi’s long-running struggles with its monkey population, which has become both a tourist draw and a constant source of tension for those living alongside the mischievous creatures.
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