Ground Report

The town of Lopburi in Thailand celebrated its annual Monkey Festival over the weekend, laying out a lavish banquet for the more than 2,000 macaques that roam freely through it. Twenty chefs, two tonnes of grilled sausage, fresh fruit, vegetables, ice cream, milk and jelly and two thousand guests were made available for the mega event. Locals believe that providing food for the monkeys, Lopburi’s famous residents, brings good fortune and prosperity. The feast is also a sort of "thank you" for the animals whose antics entice thousands of tourists to the town every year. The total cost of the feast is estimated to be more than 500,000 baht ($15,000).