Officials at the park have captured 23 macaques in the first three days of a mission to relocate aggressive monkeys to a shelter in Nakhon Nayok province.
In the meantime, the police in Lop Buri's Muang district have formed a unit equipped with slingshots to manage aggressive primates and prevent them from bothering people or stealing their food.
On Tuesday, officials at the park reported capturing an alpha male known as “The Beard” in the Ratchadamnoen area, a feeding spot for the monkeys.
The officials targeted another alpha male, but it seemed to sense the danger and hid under a building's roof.
Some captured monkeys screamed, possibly seeking help, which caused many others to flock to the cage. An official said they had to back off to avoid being attacked by the group.
The alpha monkeys seem clever and don't fall for the bait set to lure them out of hiding, even when they're hungry.
Police Major General Apirak Wechkanchana, the provincial commander, stated that the monkey control police unit is only allowed to use slingshots, not live or blank ammunition, against the monkeys.
One officer acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with the monkeys but pledged to do his best to protect people from being harassed by them.
