Police rescued 17 crab-eating macaques that had allegedly been stuffed by poachers into bags hanging on trees in a forest in Thailand.

Wildlife ranger Yossapol Chaibullawat, deputy district chief of Mueang Ratchaburi district, said residents had reported seeing the bags while walking through the woods in Ratchaburi province on November 6.

Village authorities responded to the scene and found the hapless animals 'in an exhausted state', languishing in blue mesh bags tied to trees. They called the Mueang Ratchaburi Police Station to help rescue the 17 baby macaques.

Yossapol filed a report with police to find who had caught the monkeys, which are protected animals under local laws. Unauthorised possession of the macaques is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to 500,000 baht (11,457 GBP), or both.

The rescued macaques were turned over to the Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Center, where they underwent medical examinations. They will be released into the wild when deemed healthy enough.

Authorities believe the macaques were being smuggled out of Thailand, and were 'stored' in the forest while awaiting transportation.

In March, 47 macaques bound for China were rescued in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The smugglers Kitsana Srimoros and Kritsda Muensri said they had been paid to transport the monkeys, which had come from Ratchaburi province, to Nong Khai province in northeastern Thailand.

The macaques were believed to be intended for use in Chinese traditional medicine and exotic cuisine.