No more monkeying around
Locals and macaques have lived side by side in Bang Khunthian for many years, but recent changes have created problems, writes Anchalee Kongrut
Bang Khunthian district is the only one out of 50 districts in Bangkok which lies on the coast. Thus, people often visit the district to enjoy fresh seafood products — especially crabs in the restaurants dotted along the Bang Khunthian-Chai Talay road which runs from Rama II Road towards the seafront.
But the district is also famous for its monkeys.
The district is also the only one in Bangkok that has a monkey population. Known as crab-eating macaques, these animals traditionally lived in mangrove areas along the shore. During the last few decades, however, they have gradually moved inland after the forest along the coast disappeared.
The monkeys are a tourist magnet for the district, and there’s a placard on the main highway inviting visitors to come and see the monkeys in Soi Bang Khunthian-Chai Talay 22 — one of the famous monkey habitats in the district.
Another famous monkey habitat is forest adjacent to the roadside near the Kanchanaphisek Highway. The area is known as “Khun Kala Statue”. Kala means coconut shell in Thai. Khun Kala was a celebrity macaque who was adopted by the late King Bhumibol in 1998. This monkey was reportedly very naughty and had a deformed hand due to an infection. The late
King learned about him and gave help.
Prasert Chaweeint, the director of Bang Khunthian, told the Bangkok Post that monkeys are considered to be an intrinsic part of the district’s character. “Monkeys have been living in our district for a long time. So, people here love and care for them and put up with their naughty ways,” said Mr Prasert.
Yet the relationship between local residents and the animals recently turned sour after the naughty monkeys began moving closer to their homes. Mr Prasert said the district has received a lot of complaints about their sometimes aggressive behaviour.
People have complained about monkeys climbing into their houses, stealing or damaging possessions and even taking things straight out of people’s hands. Public property has also been damaged. At the roadside near Khun Kala Statue, monkeys pull down telephone utility lines to use as slings to climb with. Electric streetlights have also been damaged, so people in that area have to walk along an unlit alley.
Another threatening factor is human themselves. Groups of new residents — many of them migrant workers from Myanmar — are not as happy putting up with the monkeys as the locals are. “There are more reports of monkeys being attacked ... their hands being chopped off and bodies hit with harpoons or fishing rods. These new residents do not have a special bond with the monkeys like the traditional residents,” said Vet Thanyalak Phonchai, an activist working with a local animal welfare protection group calling itself the “Khon Rak Ling Hua Jai Krang Club” (Monkey Guardian Group). Every day, the group goes out to provide healthy food and medical care to monkeys in the district.
Vet Thanyalak added that the health of the monkeys has been deteriorating because of the unhealthy food, such as snacks, bakery and even sugary beverages, provided by visitors. Some monkeys are obese, with bulging fat bellies that touch the ground. They can barely walk, let alone climb trees.
The relationship between people and the monkeys has become a road safety concern too, said Rabieb Yentakarm, a resident who lives next to a monkey habitat.
“A lot of monkeys get hit by cars as they try to cross the road, or cars hit one another trying to avoid hitting monkeys. Additionally, people come to see the monkeys and throw food along the roadside which rots and festers,” said Ms Rabieb who works on the district’s cleaning team.
Ms Rabieb admitted that residents are becoming increasingly annoyed by the aggressive behaviour of the monkeys. “They are so naughty but also very, very smart. They climbed on a roof and removed screws and roof tiles that I just spent 10,000 baht to fix.”
Yet, despite being abused by monkeys, local people never attack these animals.
“They were living here before us and this area is their home as much as ours. So there is nothing much we can do. After all, they are just monkeys, and monkeys are supposed to be naughty, aren’t they?” said Ms Rabieb.
Mr Prasert said the district is trying to solve the problems.
Authorities plan to sterilise 80% of the monkeys in the area. Currently, there are around 500 monkeys in five areas. The biggest habitat is the forest near Khun Kala Statue, where around 300 live.
Mr Prasert recently floated the idea of creating an open zoo on 13 rai of forest land near the statue to relocate the 300 monkeys to.
The district purchased the plot for monkey habitat over 10 years ago but lacked the budget to develop the site. Now, the district hopes to sell the government on the idea.
An open zoo would cost millions of baht to build, Mr Prasert admitted, saying the budget should be covered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Last month, the government launched a national committee to oversee monkey problems in 12 provinces. Bang Khunthian district is one of them.
To prevent the monkeys from climbing out, Mr Prasert said the total area must be completely caged. But the design must blend in with the surroundings, he insisted. “Forest must be kept to provide natural shelter. The monkeys must be able to climb and find food within the forest inside the zoo,” he said.
The district also plans to create a recreation area near the zoo. Around the earmarked zone are a pond and canal. If the zoo project comes to fruition, the district will develop that area into a floating market with annual activities such as a boat race.
“An open zoo is a solution that would allow the monkeys to remain in almost the same natural setting but with better protection. We will not move them out of this district because monkeys are part of our community,” said Mr Prasert.