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"Gang Wars" in Thailand
The monkeys in Lopburi are usually fed by tourists visiting Thailand. But since the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tourists has plummeted, leaving the monkeys starving. A "gang war" has formed between the monkeys living in the city and those coming from the temple areas to compete for food, sometimes as simple as a banana.
Even locals were shocked by the sight. Sasaluk Rattanachai, a local resident who captured the scene of the monkeys fighting over food, said: “They looked like stray dogs, going crazy for a piece of food. I’ve never seen them so aggressive. They must be very hungry. Usually, tourists come here to feed them, but now there aren’t many people around because of the coronavirus.”
Lopburi is home to thousands of wild monkeys that roam the streets and buildings.
Many of them live on the grounds of the city's ancient Buddhist temples.
They're actually quite cute...
...and are pampered by tourists.
Previously, there were reports that monkey populations in other regions were also facing similar situations due to the coronavirus, which reduced tourism in Thailand by 44%.
Deer roam freely in Nara, Japan.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Japan has plummeted, and even the famously gentle Nara deer are hungry, as no one comes to feed them shika sembei (deer biscuits). A bakery owner said that sales of shika sembei are only half of what they were before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Deer swarm around the few tourists who still come to Nara Park to beg for food.
Japanese television broadcast news reports about deer in Nara Park spilling onto the streets to scavenge for food.
The deer in Nara Park had learned to be friendly with humans, nodding politely to visitors and expressing gratitude when receiving deer-shaped cookies. But now, they are running towards people aggressively. "I think they're hungry and no longer in the mood to be polite," a bakery owner told the Japan Times.
The deer in Nara, which used to be very friendly towards humans, no longer do.
Like Thailand, Japan's tourism industry is facing significant difficulties. According to the Japan Times, the Japanese tourism business is at a record low, primarily due to a sharp drop in demand from its two main markets, China and South Korea, following the Covid-19 outbreak.
