In a bizarre and audacious act of thievery, a group of wild monkeys in Thailand raided a supermarket and made off with a haul of bananas. The incident, which occurred in a 7-11 store, was captured on video and has since gone viral.

The monkeys, believed to be of the macaque variety, deviated from their usual foraging grounds in a nearby forest and targeted the supermarket for their plunder. The footage shows the mischievous primates skillfully pulling back the covers of plastic crates, ransacking them, and snatching as many bananas as they could before scampering away in rotation.

When the store workers attempted to chase the monkeys away, the clever creatures simply settled on nearby wires, taunting their pursuers from a safe distance. According to an eyewitness who spoke to Viral Press, the monkeys are known to exploit the shop's entrance when staff members are unable to close it quickly enough. Furthermore, they have been reported to brazenly snatch food from unsuspecting tourists' hands.

Although the monkeys have not yet overrun the island of Koh Phi Phi, where this incident took place, they have become a growing concern in many cities across Thailand. Standing at a mere two feet tall and weighing just 15 pounds, these macaques may seem small, but their aggression and tendency to travel in groups make them a force to be reckoned with. In recent years, these monkeys have become increasingly assertive, targeting individuals and seizing any available food.

Their behavior has become so troublesome that it often leads to bodily injuries requiring hospitalization, as Trip Savvy reports. In the mainland city of Lopburi, the situation reached new heights with two rival “gangs” of monkeys engaging in massive street brawls over food and territorial disputes. In an astonishing display of aggression, the monkeys fought over a single banana in March 2020 and later fought over the right to squat at a Buddhist temple in 2021, according to Metro.

Experts believe that prolonged and extensive lockdowns in Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the monkeys' audacity and proliferation. With fewer tourists feeding them, the primates have become more desperate and assertive, invading buildings and causing people to flee their homes. Supakarn Kaewchot, a government veterinarian, suggests that the absence of human presence has emboldened the monkeys, leading to increased aggression and their newfound freedom to roam city streets.

In response to this growing issue, the Thai government has implemented various measures to manage the monkey population. These efforts include the creation of monkey sanctuaries, mass sterilization programs, habitat relocation, and public education on how to handle encounters with these animals.

While these initiatives aim to strike a balance between human and monkey coexistence, the recent supermarket raid serves as a stark reminder that the monkeys continue to pose a unique challenge. As Thailand grapples with this ongoing issue, it remains to be seen whether these proactive measures will be enough to mitigate the increasingly brazen behavior of these wild macaques.