‘Exceptionally cruel’: ‘Aggressive’ monkeys of Angkor Wat might end up in test labs, org warns

The monkeys displaying aggressive behaviour at the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia might end up in laboratories that test on animals, a British animal protection organisation has warned. Action for Primates, or AfP, said that the monkeys might be sent to breeding farms that export animals to such labs following the census that has been announced by the government.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, in a bid to control the population of monkeys displaying aggressive behaviour, has announced that a census of the primates will be carried out in public areas. Such animals will be sent to legal breeding farms, natural habitats, or the Phnom Tamao Zoo.

An official told the Phnom Penh Post that the operation to capture the monkeys is expected to start after the Pchum Ben festival in October.

AfP says the monkeys have turned aggressive because of being treated like a tourist attraction, which has created an unnatural dependency on humans for food.

"Sending them to breeding farms is exceptionally cruel. The monkeys at Angkor Wat are paying the price for inappropriate and preventable human behaviour," Sarah Kite, a founder of AfP, said.

She also accused the videographers of exploiting wild monkey troops to make money.

Monkeys being mistreated for money

Long Kosal, deputy director general of the Apsara National Authority, responsible for the protection and management of the Angkor archaeological site, says the monkeys are being mistreated to get them on camera for online content.

Videos showing the animals being mistreated are on the internet. One of them shows water being poured on a baby monkey to get his attention.

Kosal says that such activities are creating problems and should be discouraged. He has called on people to stop exploiting the monkeys.

“We need to find solid reasons which we can use against them not to make content by abusing the monkeys," Kosal told the Associated Press.

Animal videos are quite a hit on the internet, and more views mean more money. Nick Marx, director of wildlife rescue and care for the Wildlife Alliance, told The Independent that that is part of the problem.

"If people stop watching them, that would really help solve the problem of abuse," he said.