Thailand: A long-tailed macaque at the mouth of the cave temple Wat Tham Suwankhuha, Phang Nga Province

Located some 10 km (6 miles) southwest of Phang Nga town, this cave-temple is particularly venerated by local people and ranks as one – indeed almost the only one – of Phang Nga town’s attractions beyond, of course, fabulous Phang Nga Bay.

Two small conjoined caves are packed with Buddha images of all shapes and sizes, including a reclining Buddha, various spirit flags and the statue of a seated hermit. At various times in the past the cave-temple has attracted royal visitors, and the royal seals of several past Chakri dynasty monarchs including Rama V (King Chulalongkorn), Rama VII and the current Rama IX (King Bhumibol Adulyadej).

The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is also called the crab-eating macaque. It is native to Southeast Asia. There are at least ten subspecies and depending on subspecies, the body length of the adult monkey is 38-55 centimetres (15–22 in) with comparably short arms and legs. The tail is longer than the body, typically 40–65 cm (16–26 in). Males are considerably larger than females, weighing 5-9 kilograms (11-20 lb) compared to the 3–6 kg (7-13 lb) of female individuals.

Copyright:

CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Photographer:

David Henley

Credit:

Pictures From Asia