Overview
- A seven-year-old boy was fatally mauled by the family's four-year-old male macaque after the animal attacked him at the family home, and he was later pronounced dead at the local hospital.
- The boy's grandfather, who had rescued the macaque in 2022 and kept it tethered at the property, released the animal into nearby hills after the attack, triggering a search by police.
- Officers located the macaque in a tree but found it aggressive, so wildlife experts with tranquiliser equipment were called in to capture and secure the animal.
- Neighbors reported the macaque had shown prior aggression, including an earlier attack on a stray cat, and the animal was kept with a rope that let it roam around the yard.
- Owning macaques in Thailand is legal but tightly regulated, and authorities are examining whether the animal was held without required permits and what penalties or safety measures should follow.