Visiting Khao Takiab, also known as Chopstick Hill or the Monkey Mountain. A mountain filled with hundreds of macaque monkeys that run around free. I've been to Gibraltars Rock before, where I saw a lot of monkeys, but it was nothing compared to the amount they have in Khao Takiab. I heard that they have started to castrate some of the monkeys because the population was growing out of hand.
Whilst the monkeys can look really cute, they are known to be quite the cleptomaniacs and are riddled with disease. A bite or a scratch from a monkey is pretty much a bullet proof way of catching rabies, not a fun way to end a holiday, or life. One little monkey gave me a scare by grabbing me with both hands by my bare calf and looked me straight in the eyes, clearly begging for some food. I didn't know if I should stay still or kick him away, so I just froze and he let go when my friend took a step closer.
The conditions for photography were a bit challenging when I was simultaneously trying to get a good shot, and trying not to get bitten by a monkey. Fortunately I had a friend with me who was covering my six while I took pictures. The little ones looked really playful and it would have been fun to pet them, but some of the bigger ones were clearly showing us that this was their territory.
Taken with the Nikon D7200 and Nikkor 55-200mm 4-5.6G.
