Ravenous monkeys climb onto moving pickup truck in search of food

This is the shocking moment ravenous monkeys climbed into the back of a moving pickup truck to search for food.

The primates leapt onto the vehicle while it was driving in Lopburi, central Thailand, on Monday (Feb 15).

Driver Perawat Panyasai recorded the critters as they rummaged through the flatbed.

There was no food, but one of the animals stole a packet of black cable ties.

The brazen monkeys even returned the next day (Feb 16) while his colleagues were sitting in the back of the truck.

They leapt into the moving vehicle and searched for food.

Perawat, a builder, said: ‘I only had construction equipment in the back of the truck but the monkeys didn’t care.

They were looking for something to eat.

‘They jumped on the truck for two days, so I’m worried they’ll do it again as I have to drive through that road every day for a while.

I’ll make sure no valuables are in the back.’ Lopburi is best known for its population of wild monkeys that roam freely through the centre of the historic town.

Many of them live inside an ancient Buddhist temple and other abandoned buildings.

They were normally well-fed by visiting tourists but since the start of the pandemic, they have been going hungry.

In March last year, the monkeys had an astonishing mass brawl over scraps of food.

While earlier this month, dozens of monkeys took over a school’s swimming pool and rummaged through the bins in search of food.

Wildlife department officers started sterilising the creatures but it has not yet brought them under control.

Environmental officer Narongporn Daudduem said the department has a long-term plan to build a sanctuary in another part of the city but plans are likely be met with resistance from the human residents who don’t want the monkeys living near them.

‘It’s like dumping garbage in front of their houses and asking them if they’re happy or not,’ Narongporn said.