When a powerful leader or influential person loses their position, their followers and hangers-on quickly abandon them; rats leave a sinking ship.

macaque; monkey (literally or figuratively)

a small wild cat native to the grasslands and montane steppes of Central Asia; also known as the steppe cat

Eurasian lynx or similar wild feline with tufted ears

Like a monkey being put in a cloth bag; used as a metaphor for someone with a wild or free-spirited nature being restricted by rules, duties, or discipline

king of the monkeys; by extension, a leader of a group or a teacher who looks after young children

(abbreviation) Like monkeys fleeing a falling tree, used to describe followers or subordinates who quickly desert their leader once that person loses power or influence

The leader of a troop of monkeys

macaque; monkey