Wildlife workers caught two wild monkeys that had been terrorising a school for weeks in southern Thailand.

The thieving male macaques were a nuisance to the residents as they ran rampant in the neighbourhood in Yala province.

Locals complained that the pair ransacked their homes before retreating to the top floor of a local school which the monkeys have claimed as a hideout.

Wildlife officers converged on the school on January 16, after the macaques appeared on the fourth-floor classroom corridors and frightened the schoolchildren.

The officers laid out cages with food inside, successfully trapping one of the two simians. But the other one - named by residents as 'Master's Degree Monkey' by the locals for its aptitude in avoiding traps - was able to pluck the bait through the grilles.

The team described the monkey as 'sympathetic', refusing to leave the scene as it constantly searched for its trapped friend. They managed to capture it later in the evening by luring it inside a classroom with its caged companion inside.

A vendor named Benchawan Dadeh said she was relieved the macaques had finally been caught. She said: 'I am already familiar with Master's Degree Monkey because I saw it every day. When I learned that the officers had captured the monkeys, I went to the scene. I confirmed with my own eyes that the macaque had finally been caught.'

Wildlife authorities said some villagers might have been taking care of the monkeys as one of them had a collar around its neck and had its fangs cut off.

Vets treated the macaques' injuries before handing them over to the local wildlife conservation office.

Thailand is grappling with an overpopulation of macaques, particularly in urban areas like Lopburi, where they are fed by tourists and locals. The animals frequently raid homes, businesses, and temples, causing damage and sometimes attacking pedestrians.

Efforts to manage the issue include sterilisation programs and creating 'monkey sanctuaries' to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

In November last year, some 200 ravenous macaques clawed through their cage and took over a police station in Lopburi province.

Embattled policemen fearing the monkeys' wrath barricaded themselves inside the building as personnel rounded up the rogue macaques.