A monkey survived after being electrocuted when it chewed through power lines and suffered burns across his body.

Electricity board workers found the injured primate after locals reported a blackout in Krabi, southern Thailand, yesterday (24/12) morning.

A high voltage wire was hanging down from overhead lines and on the ground was a monkey in pain, curled up next to a house with its fur burned.

Animal rescue staff took an hour to catch the frightened monkey, which is belived to have gnawed through the wire because it was hungry.

The impish critter was sent to the vet for the first aid and will then be transferred to the national park for the further nursing before being released back into the wild.

One of the rescue team, Pawana Pimsai, said: "The monkey was electrocuted by the high voltage wire, which humans rarely survive if it happens to them.

"The monkeys are much smaller than humans so it was a miracle that he was strong enough survive."

The Provincial Electrical Authority (PEA) fixed the damaged cable but admitted there is little they can do to prevent monkeys from chewing through them.