Locals in the Cho Gao District of southern Vietnam’s Tien Giang Province have been losing sleep over a lone pig-tailed macaque that has appeared out of nowhere, wreaking havoc and terrorizing residents.

Over the past month, the monkey has been frequently spotted in Cho Gao’s Quon Long Commune, destroying crops, killing pets and poultry, and even attacking residents.

According to locals, the monkey comes at around 3:00 am – 4:00 am, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm every day.

The animal is described as extremely hostile toward humans, often destroying fruit farms, killing chickens and stealing eggs and stored dried food.

Women and children who wander alone are often subject to ambushes by the aggressive monkey.

Nguyen Thi Hau, one local in Quon Long, said she hadn’t enjoyed a good night’s sleep since the monkey began showing up in her neighborhood.

A dragon fruit farm spanning three hectares of Hau’s family has been destroyed, she explained.

Local Nguyen Thi Hau points at her family’s dragon fruit farm that has been destroyed by the monkey. Photo: Tuoi Tre

“It gets more hostile each day,” she said. “It has already killed off four newborn puppies of our pet dog by snapping their necks. Even our cat and another smaller dog were killed this way.”

“It would not dare mess with men, but is often threatening toward women and children.”

Locals have made multiple attempts to capture the animal in vain, as it is extremely quick on its feet.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday afternoon, Cao Van That, head of Tien Giang’s forest protection department, said the body had called for support from a local Wildlife Rescue Center to capture the pig-tailed macaque.

The species, known scientifically as Macaca leonine, normally measure between 45 and 70 centimeters in body length and weigh about 14 kilograms on average. Their curly tails resemble that of a pig.

The pig-tailed macaque spotted in Quon Long Commune, Cho Gao District, Tien Giang Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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