Perhilitan said in a statement today those killed were aggressive and often disturbed residents in the area, and that none were juvenile monkeys.

It said a viral photo of one of the dead monkeys captured in a tree was believed to have been taken before the entire operation was fully completed, adding that the department had disposed of the carcasses according to set SOPs.

“The two bullet casings, of which photos have been circulating on social media, are believed to have been taken in the area after the operation was carried out, before Perhilitan personnel could collect them,” read the statement.

The department said it had received eight reports regarding attacks on humans in the area since early this year, adding the most serious incident occurred on Jan 21 when a woman sustained serious head injuries after she was attacked by the monkeys.

Several photos of the incident went viral on social media with claims that the state forestry department was alleged to have killed 20 lotong cengkong at the Seri Sentosa Education quarters area in Batu 2½ Jalan Pantai, Port Dickson on May 19.

It said the department had conducted operations to capture the animals using traps, but the method was unsuccessful.

The statement said culling was the best approach to address wildlife conflicts in the area after considering all angles including its proximity to a residential area.