Nearly 100 monkeys escape enclosure, invade neighborhoods as officials scramble to recapture them

Nearly 100 monkeys ran loose through neighborhoods in central Thailand after escaping from a government-run enclosure overnight, prompting authorities to launch a large-scale effort to capture the animals.

Officials said nearly 100 monkeys broke through part of an enclosure at the Lopburi Municipality Animal Nursery.

The monkeys were being housed under the care of local authorities after being transferred from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Workers were able to prevent more than 1,000 other monkeys at the facility from escaping.

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Provincial officials, wildlife authorities and municipal workers searched nearby residential areas Tuesday after the escape.

Authorities used food-baited cages to lure some of the escaped monkeys back into custody. Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.

Crews repaired the damaged enclosure while officials continued efforts to recapture the escaped monkeys.

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Lopburi Gov. Weeraphong Ritrod said the damaged enclosure had been repaired and reinforced to help prevent additional escapes.

He said officials also plan to build a more secure, double-layer enclosure designed to keep dominant monkeys from breaking out in the future.

The governor said the province is also preparing to establish a foundation to help support food costs and improve the monkeys' welfare.

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Mayor Chamroen Salacheep said the monkeys may have escaped because of hunger, extreme heat, overcrowding or their natural instinct to roam.

He also apologized to residents affected by the incident and encouraged anyone whose property was damaged to report it so authorities could assess the damage and determine what assistance may be available.

Lopburi has long been known for its large population of free-roaming macaques.

The monkeys have also caused problems for residents and businesses because of property damage and aggressive behavior. Authorities have worked in recent years to reduce the monkey population through sterilization programs and by relocating some animals to dedicated enclosures.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Lopburi Municipality and Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for comment but did not immediately receive a response.