But that balance quickly collapsed when lockdowns stopped the steady flow of tourism, leaving the macaques desperate for a new food source. “The monkeys are hungrier and more aggressive than before,” Somsaksri Janhon, a market-stall seller, shared. “They take anything they can. The comb, the mirror. If I leave the food unattended they steal the food as well.” “They’re so used to having tourists feed them and the city provides no space for them to fend for themselves,” Supakarn Kaewchot, a government veterinarian, told Reuters. “With the tourists gone, they’ve been more aggressive, fighting humans for food to survive. “They’re invading buildings and forcing locals to flee their homes.”
