Officials placed food inside cages so that the monkeys, still covered in grey mud from the nearby mangroves, would enter to eat, explained Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre located just a handful of kilometres down the road.
On site to help carry out the monkey catching campaign were officers from the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Research Station, also located at the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area, as well as veterinarians from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).
The monkeys were taken to a site near the Bang Pae Waterfall in the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area, where the DNP veterinarians will conduct the sterilisation of the monkeys caught, Mr Pongchart said.
The sterilisation of the monkeys is to begin tomorrow (June 14).
“The plan is to relieve local residents of the problems they have with these monkeys by sterilising 150 male and female monkeys in Mueang District, and 100 monkeys in Thalang District,” Mr Pongchart said.
The cages at Baan Yamu remain in place to catch more monkeys today.
Cages were also placed at nearby Baan Bang Rong also in Pa Khlok yesterday to catch monkeys there. The cages remain there today.
However, The Phuket News has yet to confirm how many monkeys were caught at Baan Bang Rong yesterday.
Cages will be placed at Soi Kingkaew, Rassada tomorrow (June 14), with mass sterilisations to be conducted at the Phuket City Meeting Hall this Saturday and Sunday (June 16-17).
Cages will also be placed at Soi Tah Jeen tomorrow (June 14), with the mass sterilisations to also be conducted at the Phuket City Meeting Hall next Monday (June 18).
Cages will be placed at Koh Siray to catch monkeys there this Saturday and Sunday (June 16-17), with the mass sterilisations at the Phuket City Meeting Hall next Tuesday and Wednesday (June 19-20).
Dates have yet to be announced for catching wild monkeys at Rang Hill and Toh Sae Hill in Phuket Town and the ensuing mass sterilisation of monkeys caught there.