The Monkey Habitats in the Community Environments of the Historical City: the Commercial Area in Lop Buri Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research study are to study the monkey habitats in the environments of the Urban Community and to provide the guidelines for developing the environments of urban communities with the monkey habitats through the participatory process of stakeholders using qualitative research method.  It was found that the Lop Buri old town was an architectural, archaeological, and cultural heritage with the commercial area and the monkey habitats. The monkeys did not have natural hunters, and they were fed by humans. The monkeys' welfares were the belief that the monkeys had good relationships with sacred sites, Lop Buri's legends, and its history. The monkeys were the images of the province. The monkeys had friendly relationships with the humans. The monkeys were the tourism resources. The money was also reserved for animals. The physical factors of the monkeys' lives were living at the envelope of commercial buildings, historic sites and sacred places, the footpaths, the railways' surroundings, the yards of the historic sites, and the feeding areas for the monkeys. The monkeys had the routes along the footpaths. However, the consumption behaviors of money affected the environment. As a result, there were problems with dirtiness, unhygienic conditions, and harm from feeding behavior disorder. Therefore, the community environments should be developed by implementing the strategy, "the people" (understands)/ the city (is clean, hygienic and safe)/ the monkeys (are happy)". In other words, the people inside and outside the community have to understand and cooperate with feeding the money without causing environmental problems. The city has to systematically manage the foods of the monkeys, and the monkeys must have enough food and animal welfares for living.