Indian village raided by troop of 400 monkeys, residents flee in terror

This is not the first noted instance of a potential interspecies war between humans and animals, with the most famous instance being the Emu War fought between Australians and emu birds.

By AARON REICH
A trained monkey salutes as it performs on a sidewalk in Isl (photo credit: AP)
A trained monkey salutes as it performs on a sidewalk in Isl
(photo credit: AP)
Planet of the Apes doesn't seem so far off anymore.
This must be what the residents of the Indian town of Narasapuram in the state of Telangana are thinking, as they are forced to flee their homes and their lives, because the town is being invaded and plundered by a massive troop of wild monkeys, the British tabloid Daily Star reported.
The problem began 15 years ago when a troop of macaque monkeys was kicked out of the nearby city of Hyderabad.
The monkeys soon started taking a liking to the crops grown by farmers in the fertile lands around the town. However, their numbers only continued to grow, currently reaching an estimated 400-500 individuals.
Since then, the monkeys have only become more aggressive – destroying crops, stealing food directly from the hands of townspeople and attacking children, women and the elderly.
Now, over 20 families have fled the town, most of them moving to Hyderabad; there are worries that life in Narasapuram may soon become completely unsustainable.
This is not the first noted instance of a potential interspecies war between humans and animals, with the most famous instance being the Emu War fought between Australians and emu birds after the First World War.
That war saw victory go to the emus.
However, the town's sarpanch (chief) Srivarama Krishna is determined to win the war against the monkeys, having been elected on a campaign promise to do so.
“We have to keep the doors and windows bolted. They are smart enough to open the door, come inside and steal the cooked food – sometimes even running away with the vessels containing food," he explained, according to the Daily Star.
“People started getting attacked even when they used to return home from the shop with groceries: the monkeys would just steal the bags."
To show his dedication, Krishna financed much of his efforts himself, with over Rs 1 lakh (approximately $1,400) from his personal funds, The News Minute reported.
His efforts have born some fruit. Krishna brought in expert monkey catchers from the city of Nellore and started issuing a bounty of Rs 1,500 ($21) for each monkey captured, the New Indian Express reported.
According to this report, these efforts have resulted in at least 100 monkeys being captured and released into the forest far away from the town.
Monkeys are a serious problem in many parts of India, and efforts made to deal with the problem have been met with varying degrees of success.
One such effort made in 2015 saw plans made for the establishment of several monkey rehabilitation centers in several cities across Telangana, where the monkeys would be sterilized. However, only one such center is currently in operation, in the town of Nirmal, and it is only manned by veterinarians on a part-time basis.


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