As hungry monkeys roam Guiyang, residents advised

Several macaques were seen climbing up and down in residential buildings in Guiyang, Guizhou province, on Sunday, searching for food.

A notice from the Yunyan district government said the monkeys were from nearby Qianlingshan Park, about 1.5 miles from downtown, which was closed to visitors starting on Friday because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The park is now working on luring the monkeys back home.

The situation arose as the city is fighting the epidemic and some of the residents are staying home. The notice asks residents to keep the doors and windows closed at all times.

Macaques are a national protected animal in China. Residents who see macaques at their homes are asked to stay calm and not play with, threaten or feed the monkeys. They should report monkeys to their property management companies to expel them, the notice said.

According to research by Guizhou University in 2020, there are some 1,200 macaques living in Qianlingshan Park.