Khao Tao Lake

[Big Boy]

There are no notices prohibiting swimming, and I have often seen kids swimming in the hotter months.

The area is as clean as it gets. The last couple of weeks has seen them cleaning the chrome handrailings that go right the way around the lake, and today there were 2 teams fishing out the inevitable rubbish that accumulates. The water always looks quite clear.
However, I wouldn't like to comment on the actual cleanliness of the water in respect of bathing.

[Hahuahin]

There are no notices prohibiting swimming, and I have often seen kids swimming in the hotter months.

The area is as clean as it gets. The last couple of weeks has seen them cleaning the chrome handrailings that go right the way around the lake, and today there were 2 teams fishing out the inevitable rubbish that accumulates. The water always looks quite clear.
However, I wouldn't like to comment on the actual cleanliness of the water in respect of bathing.

I have also not seen any signs banning swimming in the lake and ask mostly because I would rather not offend the residents of the area in case there should be something sacred or religiously connected to the lake.
However, I have seen video on YouTube from longtail racing there, so its probably ok to take a swim. A bit sceptic about the water cleanliness but I was not hurt by swimming in the Chao Pray river in my early days in Thailand, so then it will probably be okay in the lake also.

Thank you
hahuahin

[Big Boy]

The entire lake is manmade and is the first Royal Water Project I believe. A such, it will be special to the locals. However, the lake was provided not only to provide water, but to provide recreational facilities. The area around the monument in the lake will be out of bounds though.

I was down there about an hour ago, and they're still cleaning the chrome railings

[Big Boy]

We had a very rare treat today walking around the lake. When I say we, I mean, me, Mrs BB in her wheelchair and our smallest dog. Many of you will remember this photo from a few months back.

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That is usually solid rock. As we approached today, it was as if a hundred or more shrubs had appeared on the rock face overnight. As we got closer, we could see the shrubs were moving. As we got even closer, it became clear they were monkeys, but not your regular monkey. Darker fur, red eyes (according to Mrs BB - I didn't notice that feature), no tails and they were huge. If you imagine the largest monkey you might see at Khao Takiab, and double the size, you'd probably have the smallest of these beasts.

It seems we were very lucky. They had been rummaging through the bins near the entrance to the temple, when somebody on a motorcycle started beeping their horn at them and they were leaving.

We rounded the corner, and Mrs BB started talking to one of the locals who always seems to be sat there. She said they were not monkeys, they were Zen. Nasty creatures that visit the village about twice a week and attack people and dogs . The locals are actually terrified of them.

Because this is Thailand, when walking any of our dogs we always carry a BIG stick - not that we've ever used it in anger. Thai dogs are quite smart, and know what a stick does - pointing it at a dog has always been sufficient deterrent. Now I love to see all animals, but I must admit I was quite wary of these guys, to the point I had the stick ready. Our dog is mental,, and will normally try to attack anything. Even he just watched. I'd liken these beasts to being miniature gorillas in appearance. As we walked past them (many had moved on because of the beeping) it was like a Western with the Red Indians watching us from above. Now that Mrs BB has spoken to a local, I will take extra care if I see them again. I did try to take a photo, but it was too bright to see anything on my phone. I ended up with a series of photos of the rock plus a very small image of a Zen.

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Has anybody else ever encountered these guys? Did you have a problem?

[dtaai-maai]

Sounds like the stump-tailed macaque https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stump-tailed_macaque

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[dtaai-maai]

https://www.thainationalparks.com/speci ... ed-macaque

Stump-tailed macaque

Binomial name: Macaca arctoides, Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831

The stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in South Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country. Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

It is primarily frugivorous, but eats many types of vegetation, such as seeds, leaves and roots, but also hunts freshwater crabs, frogs, bird eggs and insects.

[...]

It is distributed from northeastern India and southern China into the northwest tip of West Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. It is also found in Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and far eastern Bangladesh.

[Big Boy]

Thank you DM, that could well be the beasts we saw, although they didn't look as handsome as the first photo you posted. He's clearly been to the hairdresser first .

Whatever, it was still a rare treat to be amongst them.

[HHTel]

According to the Wiki article, they are classed as 'peaceful'. You pointed out that they didn't have tails but if they're what DM suggested, they have very short tails.

Piece of trivia: If they don't have tails then they're not monkeys, they're apes!

Edit: Just to correct some shameful English!

[Big Boy]

According to the Wiki article, they are classed as 'peaceful'. You pointed out that they didn't have tails but if they're what DM suggested, they have very short tails.

Piece of trivia: If they don't have a tail then they're not a monkey, they're an ape!

The local lady was adamant they were not monkeys, but Zen. However, she said they were vicious, but Thais think all snakes are deadly as well. My smallest dog is mental, ang generally wants to attack anything. His silence told me that he sensed there was something about them that made him stay quiet.

I didn't get close enough to see if they had stumpy tails.

[Thailightzone]

As a recent arrival I have never been out there. As someone without a car/scooter I am not likely to get out there - so if your going give me a shout

[Big Boy]

I'm without wheels for the next 3 days, but go on most other days - if you'd like to go tell me which day and we can make arrangements. Probably best by PM.

[Big Boy]

Well, my car came back early today (temporarily). As we got out of the car at home, our smallest dog jumped in. and had no intention of getting out until we'd taken him to the lake. I've always been a soft touch (and it is my daily exercise, after all), so off we went.

As we approached the rockface, we could see the moving shrubs again. 10 months of walking the lake without a sign of the Zen, and now twice in a week.

I think like the rest of that area, they are there by Royal appointment. There were 3 guys there today, feeding them sacks full of bananas. This seemed to be an official feeding time.

- They were quite timid, not as the local described them.
- They seemed at ease with dogs.
- I could not see any tail.
- I definitely saw the red area around the eyes this time.

Although they were a fair way away, I did manage some crap photos (well below my usual poor standard) this time. I will edit a couple and post them here later.

Now that I've had longer to study them, there is a similar troop (red eyes) that I often saw on the way to Pala-U.

[Big Boy]

OK, here are 5 'blown-up' photos taken blindly using my phone at quite a distance today. The first show no tail,, and in the 5th, I can pick our the red around the eyes, but I know it's there - you may struggle.

Very sorry about the quality:

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[hhinner]

They are as DM suggested. The Thai version of the Wikipedia link (https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A5 ... A%E0%B8%99) shows they are called ลิงเสน (ling sain (my transliteration/pronunciation), or sen if you prefer).

[Big Boy]

Thank you, very interesting. Seeing the food being delivered today, these guys are certainly not hungry, although when we saw them earlier this week, they were raiding the bins

I love to see any wildlife, and pleased to see they are protected. I hope to enjoy many more encounters - might even take some bananas if we see them regularly enough.