An animal protection group has raised concerns that monkeys from Angkor Wat temple could end up in breeding farms exporting primates to laboratories.

These concerns were expressed in a press release and on social media after the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Forestry Administration (FiA) announced plans to conduct a census of monkeys in public areas.

It said the efforts also aim to identify ones that pose a danger to humans, with the intention of relocating them to legal breeding farms, releasing them into natural habitats or moving them to Phnom Tamao Zoo in Takeo province.

Action for Primates (AfP), a UK-based organisation that advocates for non-human primates globally, expressed concern that the monkeys are 'paying the price' for having been treated as a tourist attraction for years by the authorities, according to a press release dated September 12.

The group claimed the authorities allowed the monkeys to become accustomed to people, particularly through feeding. As a result, the monkeys now aggressively seek food from visitors – behaviour that is not natural to them.

The press release also noted that videographers have been permitted to interfere with the wild monkey troops, often creating online content for social media platforms, sometimes for financial gain.

“The monkeys at Angkor Wat are paying the price for inappropriate and preventable human behaviour. The deliberate interference and harassment by video operators for online 'entertainment' is inhumane and unacceptable,” AfP co-founder Sarah Kite stated in the release.  

“There is an urgent need for a humane management plan to be put in place. Capturing and separating individuals from their family and social groups is not humane and will not be effective in the long run,” she added.

Long Kosal, deputy director-general and spokesperson for the APSARA National Authority (ANA), clarified that the authority has never encouraged the commercial exploitation or mistreatment of monkeys.

He noted that they have repeatedly advised videographers to stop such activities, but their efforts have been met with limited cooperation.

“We don’t permit this type of filming, but it’s difficult to prevent. That’s why we have requested assistance from the relevant authorities to address this issue within the framework of the law,” Kosal explained.

He emphasised that the plan to capture aggressive monkeys applies solely to those causing problems, though he did not specify how many are currently posing such issues.

“We are working to find a solution. We must protect both the temples and the tourists who have been bitten by aggressive monkeys, while also safeguarding the temples from damage caused by them. Additionally, we must protect the monkeys from exploitation by certain individuals," Kosal added.

AfP also highlighted that Cambodia is one of several Southeast Asian countries that exports thousands of long-tailed macaques each year for global research and toxicity testing purposes.

“Sending them to breeding farms is exceptionally cruel,” she said.

Spokespersons for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Khim Finan and Im Rachna, could not be reached for comment today, September 13.

Ministry secretary of state Ung Sam Ath, who had recently met with officials in Siem Reap province regarding the capture of aggressive monkeys, was also unavailable for comment.

Keo Omaliss, previously a government delegate overseeing the FiA, confirmed he no longer holds that position at the administration.

However, an FiA official revealed that the capture of disruptive monkeys in the Angkor area, as requested by the ANA, has not yet commenced. He stated that the operation is likely to take place after the Pchum Ben festival in October.

He further explained that, in the past, some troublesome monkeys were released into the wild, while others were relocated to Phnom Tamao Zoo, depending on their specific circumstances.

AfP, along with other animal rights groups such as Lady Freethinker (LFT) and Stop Monkey Abuse Asia, have regularly sent reports and letters of concern to the ANA and UNESCO, calling for an end to the inhumane and unlawful exploitation and harassment of wild macaque troops at the UNESCO World Heritage Site by video operators and others.