TAY NINH NEWSPAPER
In recent years, a large number of monkeys - which come from a natural forest belonging to Cao Dai Holy See in the southern province of Tay Ninh – have been spotted causing troubles to passers-by and local people.
According to residents, they come in groups and not only steal all food in the holy site’s kitchen, but also rummage the fridge for foodstuffs.
They even lie on the sofa and/or fully sunbathe in the yard of the religious building.
Nguyen Thi Xuan Dao, head of the Cao Dai Holy See, said they have suffered a lot after forest management forces seized long tailed monkeys from poachers and later released them to the holy site’s natural forest.
In some first years when there were just a few monkeys, Dao together with some staff working in the Children’s Cultural House nearby purchased fruits to feed them. But the herd has grown day by day and begun to make troubles since.
Dao said she used to be attacked by a monkey and it took a whole 3 months to heal her wounds.
She added that last year, a group of students made a visit to the Holy See and took photographs of monkeys gathering nearby on their cell phones. Suddenly, a monkey snatched a cell phone from one student’s hands and even smacked him when he tried to hold onto his phone.
She added that last year, a group of students made a visit to the Holy See and took photographs of monkeys gathering nearby on their cell phones. Suddenly, a monkey snatched a cell phone from one student’s hands and even smacked him when he tried to hold onto his phone.
“As a result, we had to take him to hospital for emergency treatment,” Dao said.
Nguyen Minh Sang, a staff working at Mac Dinh Chi junior school, said: “They [the monkeys] make a mess at the school’s corridor. They even stare intensely at female teachers.”
“One year ago, numerous monkeys snaked through our hospital, taking fruits and even patients’ clothes away,” Dr. Ngo Kim Thuan, director of Tay Ninh traditional medicine hospital, complained.
Mai Van Thoi, deputy chief of Tay Ninh Forest Management Department, said: “In the two years of 2003 and 2004, we seized 27 long-tailed monkeys from illegal hunters, and released them to the natural forest. After that, some local people also sent monkeys here. The population of monkeys in the forest is now estimated at 100.”
However, Thoi added they have had some complaints from the Children Cultural House about the monkeys’ disturbance and they have proposed the Cao Dai Temple to move the animals to another place, but they didn’t agree.
In response, To Van Kien, a security employee at the holy site, said: “I have never seen monkeys biting someone. They are good-natured.”
Nguyen Minh Sang, a staff working at Mac Dinh Chi junior school, said: “They [the monkeys] make a mess at the school’s corridor. They even stare intensely at female teachers.”
“One year ago, numerous monkeys snaked through our hospital, taking fruits and even patients’ clothes away,” Dr. Ngo Kim Thuan, director of Tay Ninh traditional medicine hospital, complained.
Mai Van Thoi, deputy chief of Tay Ninh Forest Management Department, said: “In the two years of 2003 and 2004, we seized 27 long-tailed monkeys from illegal hunters, and released them to the natural forest. After that, some local people also sent monkeys here. The population of monkeys in the forest is now estimated at 100.”
However, Thoi added they have had some complaints from the Children Cultural House about the monkeys’ disturbance and they have proposed the Cao Dai Temple to move the animals to another place, but they didn’t agree.
In response, To Van Kien, a security employee at the holy site, said: “I have never seen monkeys biting someone. They are good-natured.”
“We didn’t agree to move these monkeys to another place. We asked for local authorities’ permission to keep them for ecological balance and attracting more tourists”.
Cao Dai is a monotheistic religion originating in Tay Ninh.
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