THEY ARE DEALING WITH TOO MANY
HUNGRY MONKEYS.
JANICE MACKEY FRAYER TAKES US
THERE.
>> Reporter: IN AN ANCIENT
THAILAND TOWN, THESE FREE-WHEEL
MACAW MONKEYS ARE A BIG
ATTRACTION.
TOURISTS COME TO FEED THEM
BANANAS AND SNAP SELFIES.
THE ECONOMY RELIES ON IT.
FOR A LONG TIME, GENERATIONS
EVEN, THIS HUMAN/MONKEY
COEXISTENCE WORKED UNTIL THE
TOURISTS STOPPED COMING.
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN
GANGS OF MONKEYS GO HUNGRY.
THEY ARE BRAWLING OVER ONE SCRAP
OF FOOD.
THIS VIDEO WENT VIRAL WHEN IT
WAS FILMED AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW
THE CORONAVIRUS HAS MESSED WITH
EVERYTHING.
THAILAND’S BORDERS HAVE BEEN
CLOSED FOR MONTHS.
DURING COVID-19, THERE ARE NO
PEOPLE VISITING, SAYS THIS FRUIT
END
VENDOR.
WITHOUT PEOPLE, THE MONKEYS
STARTED SKROUN JING, NOW
DESPERATE AND SUPERCHARGED ON
JUNK FOOD, THEY ARE LITERALLY
OVERTAKING THE TOWN.
THEY STEAL, TERRORIZE.
THEY ARE LOUD AND THEY FIGHT.
AND, WORSE, LOCALS SAY THE
MONKEYS ARE PUTTING ALL THAT
SUGAR ENERGY INTO THEIR SEX
LIVES, SO THE MONKEYS KEEP
MULTIPLYING.
SO HUMANS ARE TRYING TO TAKE
BACK CONTROL WITH SNACKS.
AND THE STERILIZATION CAMPAIGN.
MONKEYS ARE SCOOPED UP AND
HUMANELY KNOCKED OUT FOR THE
PROCEDURE.
ABOUT 500 OF THEM TO TRY TO GET
THE MONKEY POPULATION UNDER
CONTROL.
STERILIZATION IS THE URGENT
SOLUTION, SAYS THE HEAD
VETERINARIAN.
IF WE DON’T DO ANYTHING, IT MAY
BECOME ANIMAL CRUELTY LATER FOR
THE MONKEYS THAT MAY GET HURT BY
THE FIGHTING.
ULTIMATELY, THE PROBLEM IS THE
LACK OF A REAL HABITAT.
SO THE BIGGER PLAN FOR
AUTHORITIES IS TO CREATE A
SANCTUARY DOWN THE ROAD WHERE
THE MONKEYS CAN RULE AND WAIT
FOR THE TOURISTS TO COME BACK.
