400 marauding macaques invade plantations in Surat Thani

PHOTO: Catch us if you can

Surat Thani officials are coming up with a plan to sort out the 400+ long-tailed macaques who have been invading fruit orchards and oil palm plantations for months.

Provincial governor Wichawut Jinto has made the order after receiving countless complaints from residents of the southern province’s Phunphin district saying that the monkeys have caused damage to their orchards and plantations.

Officials from the provincial administration have visited the local residents to listen to their grievances.

They then reported to the governor that the provincial administration must seek help from the Surat Thani-based 4th Conservation Office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation that has direct responsibility for wild monkeys.

Pradit Thongchan, chief of Tambon Thakham Administrative Organisation, says the wild monkeys travel in groups of 200, causing a lot of damage to fruits and vegetables grown by the local people.

Pradit said local villagers have filed complaints several times but no agency came to help them.

SOURCE: The Nation