Monkey attack kills 6-year-old boy in Thailand
Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A 6-year-old boy in Thailand died after being attacked by his grandfather's pet monkey.
- The boy suffered severe injuries to his lungs and legs during the attack.
- The incident has sparked renewed discussion in Thailand about the safety of keeping aggressive wild animals as pets.
A 6-year-old boy in Thailand has died from injuries sustained during a brutal attack by his grandfather's pet monkey. The tragic incident occurred on the 7th in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
The boy, identified as Ekkarat Srichan, known by his nickname Nathan, was a first-grader at Ban Khao Yuan Thao School. He was reportedly passing by the area where his grandfather kept the monkey when it suddenly attacked, inflicting severe wounds to his lungs and legs.
Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Nathan succumbed to his injuries. His grandfather, Charoen, stated that the monkey had been raised from a young age and had lived with the family for many years. It was kept as a pet, not a working monkey for coconut harvesting, and was tethered with a long rope between two trees to allow it space to climb and play.
Nathan's school posted a message of mourning on their official social media page, extending condolences to the family. The tragedy has reignited public debate in Thailand regarding the safety regulations surrounding the private ownership of aggressive wild animals like monkeys. Local authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident and arranging for the animal's future.
This monkey was raised from a young age and has lived with us for many years. It was purely a pet, not used for training as a coconut-harvesting monkey.
Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.