Udangudi residents relieved as ‘scary’ Simian’s run ends after two months

The simian was unleashing terror in the town and had attacked 14 persons in the last two months. A routine of the monkey, a Rhesus Macaque species, was to raid kitchens and snatch food, locals said. 

“The trouble-maker, along with a baby monkey, has been wandering in the residential areas in and around Udangudi for the past two months. Panic caused in the locality by the monkeys has only been increasing with every passing day in the last 60 days,” said residents.

The menace began with the monkeys chasing school children. The children sustained severe injuries while trying to escape from the animal. As there was no sign of the monkeys retreating into the forest, residents were repeatedly demanding the district administration and the forest department to catch the monkey. 

The problem reached intolerable level on Wednesday as an 8-year-old boy was bitten by the monkey when he was asleep. The victim was rushed to a private hospital where doctors had to put 23 stitches on his leg. 

Gunaseelan, an AAP functionary from Udangudi, said that early last week an elderly woman was bitten by the monkey and she also had to be given 14 stitches. Though attempts were made to chase it away and nothing worked, claimed Gunaseelan. 

Finally, the scary simian fell for a banana bait laced with a sedative and walked into a cage on Thursday morning. 

But a surprise hostage, an Asian Palm Civet, was also caught in the same cage. Both the animals were later released into the Courtallam forests.