PONDA: Akhada residents of St Estevam in Cumbharjua constituency, who were under the grip of a monkey terror for the last six months, can finally heave a sigh of relief as the rogue animal was caught and taken to Bondla wildlife sanctuary on Saturday. The monkey had created fear among the people as it would attack passersby without any provocation.
Mostly, the two-wheeler riders have been attacked by the rogue monkey. According to the villagers, the monkey had made the locality its home for the last one year, however, since the last six months it became aggressive and a threat for the people.
The monkey was often spotted moving with cows, buffaloes and calves and would respond to only two persons from the village who used to feed bananas to it.
A local Das Phadte told media that the monkey mostly attacked two-wheeler riders from behind and around 15 persons were targeted by it.
He said that around two months back they had made a complaint to the forest department and, thereafter, the officials had come to inject the monkey, however, it managed to escape.
Three days back, a forester had come and fed sedative-laced bananas to the monkey but it did not have any effect on it.
Finally, on Saturday, a team consisting of range forest officer Mariana D’Souza, veterinary officer of Bondla Dr Lovlin Vaz, veterinary assistant Pravesh Naik, forest guard Ramdas Mainkar and others, after several attempts, managed to catch the monkey and shifted it to Bondla. It was said that it took almost five hours for them to lure and trap the monkey.
The locals were worried that if the monkey was left loose it would start feeding on humans. Phadte said that the monkey moved with the cattle from 8 in the morning and would return with them at noon.
According to people, whenever they had to go somewhere they would first watch out for the monkey and then only proceed. The reason was that if the monkey spotted anybody on the road where it usually lazed around it would pounce on them from behind. The locals said that they would wait for atleast an hour for the cattle herd, accompanied by the monkey, to pass along the road and then only they would find the road safe to go on their two-wheelers. This had become a twice a day schedule for the locals; the second time when the cattle would return.
Pritesh Narvekar, who was attacked by the monkey, had informed the media that he has to take treatment for two months because of the injury he suffered in the attack and that he also lost his job due to it.
Sanjay Tari, a school teacher, said that one day he was pointing at the monkey and telling his daughter to be watchful of the rogue animal; however, the next day the monkey attacked him when he was passing along the road.
He said after that incident he would ride his two-wheeler wearing a helmet just to avoid being recognised by the monkey. Mostly people in the village would go on their two-wheelers with a stick for their safety.