Police catch killer pet monkey that mauled boy, 7, to death in Thailand

Police have captured a killer pet monkey that mauled a seven-year-old boy to death in Thailand.

The four-year-old macaque, named Choke, pounced on Ekkarat Srichan while the youngster was playing outside his home on June 6.

Neighbours heard the hellish screeches of the rampaging animal as it wrestled the boy to the ground before biting down on his torso, puncturing a lung as the terrified child screamed for help.

Shocked relatives arrived to find the child covered in wounds and the family's pet monkey with blood dripping from its teeth. It was still tethered to a bamboo pole but with a rope long enough to allow it to wander freely.

Ekkarat was then rushed to hospital, but later died as Choke's fangs had pierced his lung.

Authorities launched a search after the boy's grandfather later released the aggressive primate, which he had previously rescued from a roadside.

Officers scoured the nearby woodland and located Choke on Monday, perched in a rubber tree around 200 metres from the village in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

The monkey's owner, Jamroon Srichan, tried to lure it down with food but was bitten on the hand when he approached. Choke then scrambled higher into the branches and refused to come down.

Wildlife officials later brought in a larger macaque on a long tether and released it beneath the tree. Startled by the rival animal, Choke leapt from the branches and fled through the undergrowth towards a nearby stream.

Rangers chased it before firing tranquilliser darts. The monkey staggered through the vegetation before collapsing, allowing officers to capture it.

Footage shows wildlife officials hauling a dazed Choke from the undergrowth. Despite being weakened, it was seen baring its fangs at its captors while being put inside a cage.

Police said they will coordinate with national park officials to transfer the monkey to a proper wildlife facility.

Grandfather Jamroon Srichan said he had rescued the animal in 2022 after finding it abandoned on a roadside without its mother.

He said: 'I don't know if the monkey disliked my grandson or not, but they've known each other for a long time. It wasn't their first time meeting.

'It must have been tired and irritated. At first, I thought I made the right decision saving the monkey. But now that this happened, I realise I made a mistake. I have to let it go.

'If I could go back in time, I wouldn't want to raise it anymore.'

Owning macaques is legal but strictly regulated in Thailand.

Keeping wild-caught or protected macaques without authorisation is illegal, and can lead to fines, confiscation of the animal, or prosecution under Thai wildlife laws.