{"id":8261,"date":"2021-07-20T12:29:25","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T04:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=8261"},"modified":"2021-07-21T11:45:18","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T03:45:18","slug":"vung-tau-monkeys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vung-tau-monkeys\/","title":{"rendered":"V\u0169ng T\u00e0u’s Empty Streets Swarmed By Monkeys During Social Distancing, Netizens Joke That It’s Like The “Planet Of The Apes”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monkeys flock to empty streets in V\u0169ng T\u00e0u during social distancing<\/h2>\n
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As the Covid-19 outbreak continues to rage on in Vietnam, security measures are being strengthened in high-risk areas to curb its spread. F&B outlets are closing down, and citizens are warned not to go out.<\/p>\n

This means normally bustling cities are now empty, and in the southern city of V\u0169ng T\u00e0u, the situation has given rise to an interesting occurrence: with the streets vacant, monkeys from the nearby mountains have flocked over<\/strong> in search of food.<\/p>\n

Passers-by have snapped shots of the event to share online. Below we\u2019ve gathered a few of them for your convenience.<\/p>\n

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Netizens compare the event to the movie \u201cPlanet of the Apes\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: Ti\u00ean Ti\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

As with 18 other southern cities and provinces in Vietnam, V\u0169ng T\u00e0u is currently under a strict social distancing policy where all non-essential businesses are closed and citizens are urged not to go out unless absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n

This means the city\u2019s streets see virtually no traffic, that is, save for several monkeys local residents have spotted roaming around.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Ti\u00ean Ti\u00ean<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The monkeys have seemingly come from the mountain next to the city. It would seem without humans and vehicle noises to scare them away, some of the more adventurous ones have decided to explore outside their territory in search of food.<\/p>\n

\"vung
\nNetizens compare the event to the \u201cPlanet of the Apes\u201d movie<\/em>
\nImage credit: Kh\u00f4ng S\u1ee3 Ch\u00f3<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Photos of the uncommon occurrence have fascinated the online community. Understandably, quirky netizens were quick to joke that this is the beginning of a real-life \u201cPlanet of the Apes\u201d movie.<\/p>\n

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Authorities step in to protect the monkeys<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: C\u00f4ng An Nh\u00e2n D\u00e2n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Instances where monkeys swarm the city streets have reportedly never happened before in V\u0169ng T\u00e0u, Tu\u1ed5i Tr\u1ebb<\/a> says.<\/p>\n

Explaining the incident, an official told VNExpress<\/a> that the monkeys had come to rely on tourists vising the mountain to feed them. As traveling is limited now, so is their food source, which could be the reason they ventured out of their natural habitat.<\/p>\n

\"vung
\nAuthorities are providing food for the monkeys<\/em>
\nImage credit: C\u00f4ng An Nh\u00e2n D\u00e2n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

C\u00f4ng An Nh\u00e2n D\u00e2n<\/a> also reported that local authorities had taken 85kg of fruits to the mountain to feed the monkeys to prevent them from invading the city again.<\/p>\n

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Pay more attention to nature preservation<\/h3>\n
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This \u201cmonkey invasion\u201d is no doubt a fascinating occurrence we don\u2019t get to see every day. At the same time, it is a reminder to us that we\u2019re actually living closer to nature than we realize. Changes in our behavior can potentially have an impact on the wildlife around us.<\/p>\n

So, do pay more attention to protecting the environment. We can start by cutting down on plastic use and recycling more.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n