A 7-year-old boy was killed in a horrifying attack after his grandfather’s pet monkey turned violent and mauled him outside the family’s home.
Little Ekkarat Srichan was playing near the house in Thailand when the macaque, named Choke, suddenly lunged at him, according to reports.
The animal sank its teeth into the boy’s chest and wrestled him to the ground in a terrifying attack that left neighbors shaken.
Witnesses said they heard the monkey shrieking as the child screamed in pain.
By the time relatives found Ekkarat, he was covered in bite marks and scratches. The monkey was still tied to a bamboo pole nearby with blood dripping from its mouth.
The boy was rushed to a local hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.
His devastated mother, Daranee Srichan, said doctors told her the monkey’s bite had punctured her son’s lung and struck a vital area.
“The doctor told me my son couldn’t survive because the monkey’s bite punctured his lung and hit a vital area,” the 27-year-old mother said. “If it hadn’t struck that spot, he would have been alright.”
The family said Ekkarat’s grandfather had rescued the monkey from the side of the road and kept it at the home.
But neighbors claimed the animal had already shown dangerous behavior before the deadly attack. They said Choke was known to growl, bare its teeth at people walking by and had even killed a stray cat that got too close.
After the boy’s death, the grandfather reportedly released the monkey into the mountains. That sparked fears among police and wildlife officials that the animal could attack someone else.
Authorities later found and captured the macaque.
Ekkarat’s grieving mother said the tragedy has changed her mind forever about keeping monkeys as pets.
“If I do, my other son might not survive,” she said.
Owning macaques is legal in Thailand, but the practice is strictly regulated. Keeping wild-caught or protected macaques without permission can lead to fines, prosecution and the animal being confiscated.
