The capital’s monkey problem has struck a parliamentarian.
Rajya Sabha member BJP’s Rakesh Sinha suffered a monkey bite at his residence on Shahjahan Road on August 28.
The Lutyens’ Delhi area, which has avenues lined by big fruiting trees like that of mango and jamun, is home to a large population of monkeys.
“My residential bungalow has been known to harbour monkeys due to a sprawling green campus. The previous resident, MP Narendra Jadhav, had warned me about this,” said Sinha. “On August 28, I was stepping out of my house when a big monkey attacked me at the gate and bit me on my leg. I got treatment at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where the doctors administered anti-rabies injection and antibodies.”
Previously, at least three of his staff had quit after being chased or clawed by monkeys. “At night, the simians jump on the roof and throw things creating a scary situation. The authorities must find a solution to this problem without being cruel to the animals,” he added.
Besides monkey bites, there have been several cases of the simians chasing and snatching food and work files of officials.
A senior New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) veterinary officer said they are putting in all efforts to control the problem, “We have a contractor who employs monkey catchers to trap the simians and take them to Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. We have thus sent a total 892 monkeys to the sanctuary since July 2017 till now. We pay the contractor Rs 1,200 per catch.”
First Published:
Sep 11, 2019 04:35 IST
Source: HindustanTimes