Lopburi’s annual tribute, known as the Monkey Buffet Festival, is a chance to celebrate—and to attract tourists to witness the action. Unlike the tourists, however, the macaques don’t leave town after the feast. They are everywhere: the streets, the shops, and even people’s homes. Packs of them hang out in the temple ruins.
Their behavior isn’t always fit for the dinner table. Rampaging macaques rip windshield wipers off cars. They climb onto people and snatch food from their hands. And they become even more crazed when they consume the cans and bottles of soda that tourists and food vendors hand to them.
Local officials are trying to curb the macaques’ behavior. Because feeding the animals is thought to bring good luck, officials aren’t discouraging tourists from giving the macaques food. However, they urge them to give fruits and veggies instead of snacks high in salt, fat, and sugar—and to save their biggest donations for the once-a-year buffet.