Most people who venture into the Thai monkey forest known as Don Chao Poo, Amphur Phana, in Amnat Charoen Province, don’t venture very far so what they know of the forest is the concrete road where most of the monkeys also spend their days.

But hidden away from the road, the forest presents a different face. Here is a sample of what lies out of sight.

This part of the forest is largely undisturbed by humans, although a few people search for mushrooms after the rain and some dead wood is removed. The monkeys use forest like this for their sleeping quarters but apart from a few solitary males, few monleys spend time here during the day. Butterflies are plentiful and you can hear birds but rarely see them. We should be (and are) pleased that some of the forest has been more or less untouched for the last 50 or so years.