Cops Forced to Barricade Police Station After Hundreds of Escaped Monkeys Take Over Town

Cotton-top Tamarin Monkey — Three critically endangered Cotton-top Tamarin monkeys inexplicably died at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Hundreds of monkeys escaped their enclosure in Thailand, overrunning a local police station and causing chaos throughout the town.

Lopburi, Thailand, is known for its large primate population and its struggles to manage the aggressive macaque monkeys. In hopes of managing the issue, authorities built special enclosures to contain the animals.

Despite all efforts, on November 16, over 200 monkeys housed in the enclosure broke free after the structure gave way, leading to a mass escape, the Straits Times reported.

The monkeys invaded streets, homes, and the Tha Hin Police Station, where officers barricaded themselves indoors, securing doors and windows.

"We've had to make sure doors and windows are closed to prevent them from entering the building for food," Somchai Seedee, police captain, said.

Officials tried to round up the animals by using food traps, but many remain at large.

Authorities, including the National Parks Department, have doubled their efforts to recapture the monkeys which is expected to take several days.