Macaques rescued after being smuggled in pickup truck in Thailand

Over 100 long-tailed macaques being illegally smuggled in the back of a pickup truck, have been rescued by wildlife authorities in Thailand.

The truck was intercepted on Thursday 27, May at a checkpoint on its way to a Thai province bordering Cambodia, transporting 102 macaques in blue mesh bags, hidden in plastic crates.

Veterinarians soon set up a field hospital in an attempt to rescue and treat the monkeys, four of which were in critical condition, and a further 18 did not survive, authorities said.

The driver of the truck has been detained for wildlife smuggling.