Sunday 31 March 2024

Monkey Pickpockets of Thailand


In 2021, two robbers who allegedly trained monkeys to intimidate victims into handing over cash were arrested in India


Monkey pickpockets trained to target tourists: 'Fagin' of the animal kingdom steal from humans, 'rob' banks, attack tourists for their phones

  • The mischievous primates have been trained up to commit a series of crimes
  • Here, MailOnline looks at the rise of monkey madness across the world

'Fagin' crooks train monkeys to steal, while wild primates 'rob' banks, attack tourists and even kill their owners.

Cops in Thailand have been forced to arm themselves with slingshots to fight off rampaging monkeys - but it is by no means the first time police officers have engaged in war against criminal primates.

In India crooks have been known to train monkeys to attack victims for cash and belongings.

While out-of-control crazed monkeys have sometimes turned on their owners, going as far as killing them and others in a series of savage of attacks in recent years across Asia.

It was revealed this week that rampaging monkeys are terrorising a Thai tourist town, causing cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquiliser guns to combat the 'dangerous' primates .

Officers said they have come under attack from aggressive macaques in the town of Lopburi, around 90 miles north of the capital Bangkok, which has become notorious for its out-of-control monkey population.

The local police station has now issued wooden slingshots that officers can use to fire at the unruly primates, which often climb over cars and steal food from shops and tourists as well as vandalise property.

And the move comes as Police Major General Apirak Wechkanchana, commander of Lopburi Provincial Police, has ordered the establishment of a special unit to combat aggressive wild monkeys. 

Here, MailOnline looks at the rise of monkey madness in different parts of the world, including the worst acts the simians have carried out. 

Trained by 'Fagin' crooks to rob 

In 2021, two robbers who trained monkeys to intimidate victims into handing over cash were arrested in India.

The men taught the primates, who are known to attack people for their items, to scare members of the public in New Delhi into handing over their valuable possessions.

One victim, a lawyer, said three men jumped inside a rickshaw he was travelling in and invited two monkeys to sit on the front and back seat before demanding he hand over 6,000 rupees (close to £60).

There's a new group of crooks that tourists might not suspect they'd have to be wary around - monkeys (stock image)

There's a new group of crooks that tourists might not suspect they'd have to be wary around - monkeys

The local police station has now issued wooden catapults that officers can use to fire at the unruly primates, which often climb over cars and steal food from shops and tourists

The local police station has now issued wooden slingshots that officers can use to fire at the unruly primates, who often climb over cars and steal food from shops and tourists

Motorbikes and cars drive past macaques in Lopburi, Thailand on February 25, 2024. Although the thousands of macaques living in town are a tourists' attraction, many complain that they harass residents and damage houses and businesses while deterring potential visitors

Motorbikes and cars drive past macaques in Lopburi, Thailand. Although the thousands of macaques living in town are a tourists' attraction, many complain that they harass residents and damage houses and businesses while deterring potential visitors

A spokesperson for the police in New Delhi said: 'They took the money the lawyer had in his wallet and fled with the monkeys.' 

Police suspected the gang were behind other similar thefts and officers set up a dedicated team to track down the culprits, who were arrested at a bus stop along with their animal accomplices. 

The pair's gang of monkeys were sent to an animal rescue following an investigation into the 'strange case involving monkeys' was launched. 

Similarly, monkeys living at Uluwatu Temple in Indonesia make the most of the crowds of travellers by deliberately stealing items and using them as bargaining chips to get food.

The unprecedented behaviour was observed by researchers from the University of Lethbridge in Canada.

They also noticed older and more experienced primates target high-value items, such as phones, and demand even more food for their loot.

Researchers observed video recordings of the monkeys as visitors approached them at the Hindu holy site. 

It showed the monkeys would grab an item from a person and wait for a human to offer them food in order to get it back.

In 2021, two robbers who allegedly trained monkeys to intimidate victims into handing over cash were arrested in India

Two robbers who trained monkeys to intimidate victims into handing over cash were arrested in India

Similarly, monkeys living at Uluwatu Temple in Indonesia make the most of the crowds of travellers by deliberately stealing items and using them as bargaining chips to get food (stock image)

Similarly, monkeys living at Uluwatu Temple in Indonesia make the most of the crowds of travellers by deliberately stealing items and using them as bargaining chips to get food

The monkey would only give the item back after receiving offerings it considered to be sufficient and a fair exchange.

Older monkeys, the researchers say, learned what items were of the highest value to people and deliberately aimed to obtain them.

'Robbing 'banks 

But it's not just petty theft - the creatures have also been involved in some high-stakes operations.

In 2020, police in India's capital rushed to the scene of a suspected bank robbery near the country's presidential palace.

Officers in New Delhi were called to a State Bank of India ATM that is a ten-minute walk from the palace after the front of the machine was pulled off.

Suspecting an attempted robbery, the cops reviewed CCTV footage - only to discover that the culprit was actually a curious primate.

CCTV revealed how the primate scaled the machine and then pulled the front covering away from the wall, before investigating its inner workings

CCTV revealed how the primate scaled the machine and then pulled the front covering away from the wall, before investigating its inner workings

A video shows the monkey - believed to be a Rhesus Macaque, which are native to the city - climbing up the front of the machine and tugging at the top of it. 

It is not clear how the monkey managed to get to the ATM - which is behind a glass door with a handle - or how it escaped again afterwards. 

There are thought to be between 4,000 and 5,000 Rhesus Macaques living in New Delhi, where they have a reputation for causing chaos.

The monkeys are frequently spotted stealing food, snapping power lines, and have even been involved in attacks on passersby.

Kidnapping other animals and children

Adorable puppies and kittens have also fallen victim, being kidnapped and held hostage by monkeys.

A two-week-old black and white puppy, named Saru, was grabbed by a primate and taken to the top of an electricity post in Taman Lestari Putra, Malaysia, back in 2021.

Video filmed by one of the rescuers shows concerned residents surveying the monkey clutching the puppy as it perched in a tree, and trying to work out how to save the tiny dog. 

The two-week-old black and white puppy, named Saru, was grabbed by the primate and taken to the top of an electricity post in Taman Lestari Putra, Malaysia in 2021
The monkey held the puppy close for three days and was spotted perching high in a tree at the edge of the jungle

The two-week-old black and white puppy, now named Saru, was grabbed by the primate and taken to the top of an electricity post in Taman Lestari Putra, Malaysia in 2021

Monkey kidnaps kitten and keeps it hostage on roof in Thailand
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Footage shows the monkey on a roof holding the terrified kitten in its arms before it eats a series of bananas as shocked onlookers look on in horror
The cat has not been seen since the incident

 Footage shows the monkey on a roof holding the terrified kitten in its arms before it eats a series of bananas as shocked onlookers look on in horror

After three days, the pup was rescued after helpful passers-by pelted the monkey with small rocks and wood, as well as throwing firecrackers on the ground in the hope that the loud noises would scare it.

The dog was checked for injuries and adopted by a local, and is doing well. The monkey was part of a gang of animals already known to steal food from houses.

In Thailand, another troublesome monkey kidnapped a kitten back in 2019.

The primate grabbed the feline as it wandered around outside a home in Rayong - footage shows the monkey on a roof holding the terrified kitten in its arms before it eats a series of bananas as shocked onlookers look on in horror.

Residents recognised the monkey as it had been terrorising locals in recent months by stealing food. 

The creatures have even gone as far as kidnapping and killing children - in 2021, tragedy struck when monkeys in southern India snatched a pair of eight-day-old twins from their home before killing one of the girls.

The woman, named only as 26-year-old R. Buvaneswari, claimed the attack took place in the city of Thanjavur while she was home alone with the children.

Buvaneswari told local media that the monkeys broke in through the roof, took the girls, and that she later found one of the twins dead in a moat behind her house.

Killer attacks 

Just last month, a 15-year-old girl died and her sister sustained injuries when they fell into a dry well after they were set upon by raging wild monkeys in India.

Sapna and her sister Sadhna, 19, plunged down the well in the Nai Nagla locality of Uttar Pradesh two days ago when they were working on the terrace of their home.

After the horrific ordeal, they were taken to the hospital by locals. Sapna passed away during treatment, while Sadhna was in critical condition, the Times of India reported.

Three months earlier in November 2023, another vicious attack saw a 10-year-old boy be mercilessly killed by a monkey after it tore his intestines out.

Police said the boy, who was identified as Dipak Thakor, was killed by a 'notorious gang' of monkeys while he and his friends were playing near a temple in Salki, a small village in the western state of Gujarat, on Tuesday.

He and his friends were attacked, and a monkey managed to dig its claws into him, before killing him.

Back in 2021, another Indian man was killed after a primate threw a brick at him from the second floor of a building.

Local police confirmed that 30-year-old Mohammad Kurbaan was killed after being hit in the head with the falling brick in Central Delhi’s Nabi Karim area.

Kurbaan, who sold bags from a shop in the area, collapsed after being hit with the brick and was taken to hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Similarly, in 2023 a three-year-old boy was killed after monkeys pushed a boulder from a roof onto his head. 

Locals in India's central Telangana state said Devunuri Abhinav was playing below the tin roof when a gang of monkeys who had been jumping around caused the boulder to fall off and onto the child. 

Turning on their owners 

In June 2019, one man died and his son ended up in hospital after their pet monkey set upon them in a coconut grove in Malaysia.

Ngah Muhammad, 72, tried to get the monkey to climb a tree and fetch him coconuts but the animal attacked him and severed an artery in his wrist.

This monkey attacked its 72-year-old owner, leaving him bleeding to death from a severed artery, and also bit his 29-year-old son on the neck

This monkey attacked its 72-year-old owner, leaving him bleeding to death from a severed artery, and also bit his 29-year-old son on the neck 

His son, 29-year-old Mohd Zakaria Ngah, grew suspicious when he could not hear the sound of either the monkey or coconuts falling to the ground.

He went to investigate and found his father lying on the ground unconscious at the back of the house, in Terengganu state in north-western Malaysia. 

Initially, he did not realise that the monkey had caused the injury - but when he tried to go to his father's aid, the animal attacked him too.

The monkey bit Mohd on the neck and caused him to scream, raising the alarm with neighbours who were able to drive the monkey off.

Now, as the creatures make headlines for their antics in Thailand, Lopburi has become known in recent years for its out-of-control population monkey population, leading some to like it to an apocalyptic hellscape - with monkeys even commandeering empty buildings. 

They were seen engaging in a massive gang fight in the depths of the pandemic when there was a shortage of food. Attacks on cars, homes, market stalls, and visitors have become increasingly frequent. 

The Thai government is struggling to control its macaque problem but has taken steps to manage the monkey population across the country, including creating sanctuaries, mass sterilisation programs, educating the public on how to handle the animals properly, and relocating them to more suitable habitats. 

The rampaging monkey gangs terrorising the Thai tourist town caused cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquiliser guns to combat the 'dangerous' primates. 

Rampaging monkey gangs are terrorising a Thai tourist town, causing cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquiliser guns to combat the 'dangerous' primates

Rampaging monkey gangs are terrorising a Thai tourist town, causing cops to arm themselves with slingshots and tranquiliser guns to combat the 'dangerous' primates

Officers said they have come under attack from aggressive macaques in the town of Lopburi, around 90 miles north of the capital Bangkok, which has become notorious for its out-of-control monkey population (pictured: macaque monkey eating watermelon in Lopburi)

Macaque monkey eating watermelon in Lopburi

The primate 'thugs' are familiar with tranquiliser guns, and scale tall buildings and houses to escape whenever they come near.

But the police team managed to capture the troop's leader, 'Ai Krao', who was infamous among the local vendors and drivers due to its aggressiveness. Officers put it to sleep with a sedative dart to its bottom before hauling it inside a cage.

olice have started carrying slingshots to defend themselves against crazed monkeys in Thailand.Officers said they have come under attack from aggressive macaques in Lopburi

Police have started carrying slingshots to defend themselves against crazed monkeys in Thailand. Officers said they have come under attack from aggressive macaques in Lopburi

A macaque monkey drinks from a bottle outside the Phra Prang Sam Yod temple during the annual Monkey Buffet Festival in Lopburi province, north of Bangkok on November 28, 2021

A macaque monkey drinks from a bottle outside the Phra Prang Sam Yod temple, during the annual Monkey Buffet Festival in Lopburi province, north of Bangkok

Despite the dangers, locals are keen to keep the monkeys in the town as they prove a popular draw for tourists from around the world who feed them sugary treats

Despite the dangers, locals are keen to keep the monkeys in the town, as they prove a popular draw for tourists from around the world, who feed them sugary treats

Thousands of monkeys terrorise Thai town: Rival gangs battle for supremacy as they compete for food - even climbing on humans and cars - after getting hooked on sugary drinks

  • The town of Lopburi, around 90 miles north of the capital Bangkok, is well-known for its monkey population
  • The primates bring tourists from around the world with locals even holding an annual festival to honour them
  • Lopburi is now ravaged by thousands of the sugar fuelled macaques clashing violently over food and territory
Locals hand out plastic tubes filled with sugar and syrup and the monkeys can be seen sucking them dry.

Their total lack of fear of humans means monkeys exhibit extremely bold behaviour, clambering across the windshields of moving vehicles and jumping all over bystanders in the street.

There are even rival monkey gangs that mark their territory - resulting in clashes when the animals meet. 

Hordes of rampaging wild monkeys have been terrorising a town in Thailand as they become hooked on sugary drinks while waffling down bananas

Hordes of rampaging wild monkeys waffling down bananas

A monkey is seen slurping from a plastic tube filled with syrup handed out by a local.  The monkeys multiplied considerably during the pandemic and their constant diet of sugary snacks has made them hyperactive and more eager to breed

A monkey is seen slurping from a plastic tube filled with syrup handed out by a local.  Their constant diet of sugary snacks has made them hyperactive and more eager to breed

Since tourists began to return to Thailand after coronavirus restrictions were eased in November, Lopburi's monkeys - whose numbers multiplied considerably during the pandemic - have enjoyed much greater access to sugar-filled snacks and drinks, as well as their staple bananas

Lopburi's monkeys enjoying their staple food, bananas

Their total lack of fear for humans means monkeys exhibit extremely bold behaviour, clambering across the windshields of moving vehicles and jumping all over bystanders in the street

Their total lack of fear for humans means monkeys exhibit extremely bold behaviour, clambering across the windshields of moving vehicles and jumping all over bystanders in the street

A troop of macaques invades a shop. People have sought to appease them with junk food, but the sugary diet has frenzied them and caused them to breed more quickly

A troop of macaques invades a shop.

Lopburi is home to some 6,000 macaques which were a major tourist draw before lockdown stopped visitors from coming - but have now turned into a menace for locals

Lopburi is home to some 6,000 macaques

A sign put up to warn tourists about the monkeys now serves as a grim reminder to locals who have been left to deal with the increasingly violent animals after visitors stopped coming during the pandemic

A sign put up to warn tourists about the monkeys

Entire blocks of the city have become off-limits to humans, as the primates have taken over, and defend their territory violently. An abandoned cinema serves as the macaques' base. 

Violent clashes between two rival gangs in March 2020 blocked the road for around four minutes as people were forced to wait in their cars. Local took to feeding the monkeys to break up the clashes, but this exacerbated the problem, giving the monkeys more energy to fight and breed

Violent clashes between two rival monkey gangs blocking the road, with people forced to wait in their cars. 

Footage shows how the two rival troops then faced-off at the busy junction while terrified motorists waited in their cars for more than four minutes

The two rival gangs face off at a busy junction, while terrified motorists wait in their cars

Many congregate around an ancient Buddhist temple and they have also taken over a cinema - forcing the previous owner to move out and close the business.

'The more they eat, the more energy they have... so they breed more,' says Pramot Ketampai, who manages the Prang Sam Yod temple's surrounding shrines. 

A monkey pulls a rubber strip off the roof of a car in Lopburi - an incident that residents say is becoming more frequent now there are no tourists to occupy them

A monkey pulls a rubber strip off the roof of a car in Lopburi 

A macaque sits on top of a statue close to Lopburi's main temple, another tourists attraction where they used to collect food

A macaque sits on top of a statue close to Lopburi's main temple

Domestic tourists walk around a shrine that is typically thronging with monkeys who were thrown fruit by the visitors, but the stream of food dried up in the early days of the pandemic until locals began to feed them

A shrine thronging with monkeys, who are thrown fruit by visitors


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