Brazilian bite is not an isolated case

In recent years, this fact has tormented not only travelers, but also residents of several provinces. Last year, after several attacks were recorded, authorities practically admitted that they had lost control over the monkeys, especially those of Lop Buria province located in the center of the country that attracts visitors from all over the world due to its vast number of Buddhist temples.

It is estimated that around 2,200 of these animals roam freely around the city.

The monkeys that roam Lop Buri are a symbol of local culture and a major tourist attraction. They even have a festival in November in his honor, the Monkey Buffet Festivalcarried out since 1989.

But after years of dangerous encounters with residents and visitors and several failed attempts to bring peace with population controls through sterilization, the population and local businesses have had enough.

Tourism seeks recovery

Before the pandemic, Thailand was the second largest tourist destination in Asia, with almost 40 million visitors, second only to China. This number fell to 11.1 million in 2022 and recovered somewhat in 2023, reaching 28 million people. The government’s goal was to reach the 2019 level by the end of the year, but the number increased to 35 million.

There are several reasons why the country has not yet reached its 2019 peak in visits, including areas at risk of insurgent attacks, tough legislation and even geopolitical crises involving China, the main origin of travelers.

The possibility of attacks by wild animals is one of these causes, although it is not possible to specify its impact.

Furthermore, there are fears of an excess of tourists, which led to a request for a tax of 300 bath (the local currency) – around R$41.00 – for all tourists entering the country.

Monkey gangs

But it is the violent coexistence between animals and people that has yielded the most interesting news. Increasingly, monkeys try to steal food from humans, a behavior that has been generated by tourists’ own careless attitude. Sometimes the attacks result in fights that can leave people with scratches and other injuries.

The monkeys started attacking vehicles, businesses and homes. Worse than that, rival gangs of monkeys have also fought battles in the streets, due to the imbalance between the number of animals and the food available.

In March, a woman dislocated her knee and suffered other injuries after a monkey pulled her by her feet in an effort to get food. Another man was knocked off a moving motorcycle by a hungry monkey. In November, a Swedish tourist was bitten in the neck.

Compensation

After the increase in cases, the government stipulated financial compensation for those who suffered attacks not only by monkeys, but also by elephants, bears and gauros (a type of bison).

The checks range from 30,000 bath, the equivalent of R$4,000, to 50,000 bath (around R$7,000) in the case of the loss of a member, up to 100,000 bath (R$13,700 in case of death. There are also daily compensations of 300 bath (R$41) for hospital admissions.

Plano

Thai wildlife authorities have come up with a plan to try to bring peace to this type of conflict. The idea was to capture around 2,500 urban monkeys across the country and place them in huge private facilities, according to a director at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Forest Conservation.

They began working with wildlife experts to find a way to allow a limited number of monkeys to remain free in the city. “I don’t want humans to have to hurt monkeys, and I don’t want monkeys to have to hurt humans,” the director said.

An official monkey capture campaign was launched, prioritizing the most aggressive alpha males. But, although captures were frequent and the number of captives reached 1,600, the temporary facilities did not prove to be completely safe. Later in the year, around 300 monkeys escaped from their cage in a nursery and broke into the Tha Hin police station.