“Gang war” in Thailand
Lopburi’s monkeys are often fed by tourists visiting Thailand. But since the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tourists has dropped sharply, leaving the monkeys hungry. There has been a “gang war” between the city-dwelling monkeys and those from the temple areas, competing for food, sometimes as little as a banana.
Even locals were shocked by the sight. Sasaluk Rattanachai, a local who took pictures of the monkeys fighting over food, said: “They looked like wild dogs, going crazy for a piece of food. I have never seen them so aggressive. They must be very hungry. Usually tourists come here to feed them, but not many now because of the coronavirus.”
Lopburi is home to thousands of wild monkeys that roam the streets and buildings.
Many live within the grounds of the city's ancient Buddhist temples.
They are quite cute...
...and are pampered by tourists
It was previously reported that other monkeys were suffering similar conditions as the coronavirus reduced tourist arrivals in Thailand by 44%.
Herd of deer wandering in Nara, Japan
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists visiting Japan has dropped sharply, and the famously gentle Nara deer are also hungry, as no one comes to feed them shika sembei (deer biscuits). A bakery owner said that shika sembei sales are only half of what they were before the Covid-19 outbreak.
Deer surround the rare tourists who still come to Nara Park to beg for food.
Japanese TV reports on deer in Nara Park swarming 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 their thanks when given deer crackers. But now they run toward people with an aggressive attitude. “I think they are hungry and are not in the mood to be polite,” a bakery owner told the Japan Times.
The deer in Nara were once very friendly to humans, but now they are no longer so friendly.
Like Thailand, tourism in Japan is facing many difficulties. According to the Japan Times, the tourism business situation in Japan is at a record low, mainly due to a sharp decrease in demand from two main markets, China and South Korea, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out.
