More than 130 "Lopburi monkeys" that escaped from their cages have been captured. Officials used tranquilizer guns alongside trapping cages, while urgently repairing the damaged enclosures with stronger steel mesh.
On 1 Jul 2026, a large troop of monkeys escaped from the Lopburi municipal animal shelter in Pho Kao Ton Subdistrict, Mueang Lopburi District, Lopburi Province, on 30 Jul. They caused damage to about 15 nearby households and properties, including residential buildings and the Tha Hin Police Station, disturbing the local community. The escape was caused by monkeys shaking the cage at the corner joint of the new cage A’s roof until a gap formed, allowing them to slip out.
Recently, Second Lieutenant Songphon Paenkaew, Deputy Governor of Lopburi Province, together with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Lopburi Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, and the Protected Area Regional Office 1 Saraburi branch at Khao Somphot Wildlife Sanctuary, deployed forces within a 1-kilometer radius around the municipal animal shelter. They conducted a cordon and search operation to capture and herd the monkeys back into cages. However, the monkeys evaded capture, making trapping difficult, so the strategy was changed to ambushing near residential areas instead.
This new strategy leverages the monkeys’ natural behavior of foraging for food in community areas when hungry. By ambushing at strategic points where monkeys are expected to come for food, officials can safely and more easily capture them. The operation uses tranquilizer guns combined with trapping cages, baited with corn, lotus seeds, and boxed milk.
Over the past two days, officials have recaptured and returned more than 130 monkeys to the cages. They have also provided contact numbers of wildlife department officers in the area for residents to report incidents promptly. If residents experience any inconvenience, they can also report to the Lopburi Provincial Damrongtham Center via hotline 1567 or phone 0 3677 0134.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chamroen Salachip, Mayor of Lopburi Municipality, has ordered urgent repairs to the damaged cage areas to strengthen them. The repairs use finer-mesh steel mesh that monkeys cannot shake loose.
The Mayor of Lopburi Municipality revealed that the municipality, responsible for the monkeys at the municipal animal shelter in Pho Kao Ton Subdistrict, currently cares for about 3,500 monkeys. Recently, the monkeys shook and pulled the cage bars, creating gaps and allowing many to escape.
So far, more than 130 monkeys have been recaptured. The municipality is upgrading and repairing the old cages and the ones breached by the monkeys with stronger steel mesh featuring smaller openings, preventing monkeys from slipping through as they did before. This repair is funded by the Lopburi municipality.
Regarding the issue of a photo and video ban at the municipal animal shelter, this arose because malicious individuals recorded and livestreamed feeding the monkeys while soliciting donations. Donations were sent to the accounts of those livestreaming, misleading people to believe the municipality was requesting money for monkey food.
The Lopburi Municipality has clarified that it only accepts donations in the form of food, strictly no cash donations. Such incidents provide opportunities for scammers to exploit the situation. Hence, the municipality installed signs prohibiting photography and videography to prevent misuse for personal gain.
The municipality also announced that the person who livestreamed without permission is now banned from entering the municipal animal shelter.