Wild monkeys were rounded up and put in cages in a Thai town overrun by the primates.

Footage shows authorities with their 8ft-high steel enclosure trying to catch the primate troop nesting on the ledge of a commercial building in Lopburi, Thailand, on May 15.

Some had already been secured inside a smaller cage and then taken to the back of their truck to be returned to the forest in an ongoing operation that started last week.

While the officers were still testing its effectiveness by relocating the first 20 monkeys, dozens more escaped and were still freely roaming the city, searching for food and loitering on the roadsides.

The mayor of Lopburi, Jamroen Salacheep, said: ‘The monkeys are quick learners, so capture locations need to be rotated regularly. The main focus will be on monkeys separated from their main troop near the Phra Kan Shrine.'

The first batch of 20 monkeys underwent seven-day testing to evaluate feeding behaviour. The results would then be analysed to determine the next steps, adding the mayor.

Thailand's growing population of primates has become a problem. The animals are known to damage property, such as cars and buildings. Unafraid of the consequences, they have also started stealing food from tourists and locals.

Many provincial governments in Thailand have been lobbying for the removal of crab-eating macaques from the country's list of protected wildlife. The legal protections have been hampering efforts to curb the pillaging simians' ballooning numbers.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is taking steps to manage the monkey population in the country, including creating sanctuaries and mass sterilisation programs, educating the public on how to handle the animals properly, and relocating them to more suitable habitats.