A pensioner has been killed by a wild monkey that bit him to death in his own home.
Chaiphum Sae-eung, 63, attempted to fight off the aggressive male pig-tailed macaque after it entered his home in Yala province in southern Thailand.
But the monkey, which had been terrorising residents in the area, was said to have repeatedly scratched him before biting a chunk off his left leg.
His body was found on Saturday by his nephew, Pipat Sae-eung, slumped against the wall with dozens of bite marks, surrounded by a pool of blood.
When the police arrived, he was still clutching a metal rod thought to have been used to fend off the ferocious animal.
There were several animal and human footprints visible, while the monkey remained perched in the rafters.
Police Major Jakkarin Laksana of the Betong Police Station said: “We speculate that he had been dead for around two to three days because his body was bloated and emitting a foul stench. We sent his body to Betong Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
“We do not believe any people were involved in the death.”
Villagers said that the monkey had been roaming the area aggressively while trailing a female, and had already bitten Chaiphum on the shoulder around ten days earlier.
It has also lunged at a family just days before, forcing them to flee their home.
The police said they were hunting the macaque for the safety of the residents, and a shoot-to-kill notice has been issued.
Thailand is struggling with a macaque overpopulation, with the monkeys becoming increasingly bold, raiding towns and attacking residents.
