Send this page to someone via email

Monkey “gangs” have taken to the streets of Thailand to brawl over food as the novel coronavirus has kept tourism at bay.

Shocking video footage shared to Facebook show swaths of the animals taking to the streets to find something to eat, likely going hungry as tourists aren’t there to keep them well-fed.

“It’s the summer, so usually we see a lot of tourists, but because of the outbreak, there’s so few that the markets are very quiet,” Sasaluk Rattanachai, who posted the video online, told Thai news site Khaosod English.

The street fight broke out on Tuesday at around 11 a.m. in Lopburi, Rattanachai added, which held up traffic for around 10 minutes. The area is located just northeast of Bangkok and is famed for its monkey population.

Story continues below advertisement

“This area is the kingdom of the city monkeys,” Pattakorn Witchaplakorn, a railway officer, told the local publication.

The area of Lopburi is home to thousands of crab-eating macaques, a type of monkey, near the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple.

2:29 Animal experts say stopping future outbreak starts with origins Animal experts say stopping future outbreak starts with origins

The monkeys are used to being fed by tourists, LiveScience reports. The city hosts an annual Monkey Buffet Festival, where visitors build huge towers of fruits and vegetables just for the animals.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

Each “gang” has around 500 members, Manad Vimuktipune of the Lopburi Monkey Foundation told The Guardian, adding that they’ll steal anything from colourful ornaments to caps and sunglasses.

Earlier this week, authorities said the country is likely to see a fall to 30 million foreign tourists from last year’s 39.8 million, the Bangkok Post says. It’s unclear what long-term impact the tourism decline will have on the monkeys.

Story continues below advertisement

—

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials say the risk is low for Canadians but warn this could change quickly. They caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

—

meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca

Story continues below advertisement