Shimla: Wildlife wardens shot dead a Hanuman Langur (Baboon) on Friday, after chasing the wayward animal for 5 days, for he had taken a fancy to slapping hapless human pedestrians at will and bitten a dozen people who tried to resist.
Heaving a sigh of relief forest official RK Raj reported that the animal had been brought down at around noon.
“The animal had to be shot as we failed to tranquilize as well as trap the animal,†said Raj. Over a dozen people had been injured by the animal that belongs to the Hanuman Monkey sub-specie of baboon family, he added.
One of those injured by the animal attack is said to be a councilor of Shimla Municipal Corporation.
About a week ago, the langur was reported to be confronting pedestrians in the Nabha, Fagli and Tutikandi locality of the city and vanishing into the trees after slapping them.
After attempts to trap him failed, the wildlife wardens attempted to tranquilize the animal.
“Three days ago, at dusk hour, a tranquilizing gunshot did hit the animal but before the chemical could take effect he escaped into a dark area of the forest and could not be located,†said Raj.
Others say from the next day the langur starting attacking and biting people.
Not considered an isolated incident; behavioral changes have been noticed in langurs over the past decade and more and more humans being attacked are being reported.
Two months ago, an elderly man was attacked by another langur at the local bus stand, close to Rippon hospital.
To control the rising populations of simians in the hill station, the government has launched an ambitious sterilization program at Tutikandi itself.
In over three years, a total of 13357 simians, mainly monkeys, were trapped around Shimla of which 11,599 were sterilized at Tutikandi centre, records with the wildlife department revealed.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
ye bahut udharan hai, agar insaan 100 insano ko maar de tau use Tihar mai rakh puja jata hai aur koi janwar thapar mare tau use goli mar de jati hai..aare us langoor ko pakar kr jangal mai tau chor skte the ya zoo mai rakh dete..ab ye mat kehna ke forest wale itne kamjor hain ke ek Langoor ko jinda nehi pakar sakte the..very bad news INSAN SACH MAIN KHATARNAK HAI, JANWAR SE BHI JAYADA.
The langoor was shot only after it attacked a municipal councilor and a forest department official. Although it had bitten a dozen people earlier yet no action was taken then. This indicates how much the government is concerned about the general public. Pity!!!
What’s “HANUMAN” ? By the way the word ‘babu’ comes from Baboons!
Vivek, it was news to me also when a forest official corrected me and said that the Shimla langur carries the nomenclature of Hanuman Monkey in zoology.
🙂 That’s why I have used the word Hanuman with Langur
You are “hurting” my religious sentiments…i’ shall “create” NEWS about it …How’s that ???
Could we hand over the list of corrupt politicians to this Late Hanuman Langur (Peace Be Upon Him!) so that he could slap only the deserving? Jokes apart, the worrisone part is human versus animal species conflict has been spreading from one species to other faster than has been recorded by scientists. We heard of tigers, now we hear of even most human friendly elephant too attacking human habitats in hordes – be it Mysore or Assam. Now it is monkeys/versus humans. I bet this is going to be much tougher than tigers and elephants given the agitility of these creatures. Monkeys and Langurs in forests and trees are like birds without wings. Mr “Nick” probably has no idea how maddeening it can be to catch a monkey or langur. That’s not to condone lame duck excuses of authorities! Once it gets across the monkey or langur community that humans are their enemies or culprits in encroaching what they consider as their habitat, making their life difficult, it is going to be real bad scenario. I guess some environmentalist intervention is called for to pre-empt this. Just how many would remember that it all started with when devotees started feeding the Hanuman proxy with the grams and other stuff. Even now, visitors, expecially tourists do not realize this.
i agree with Ravinder on the man human conflict – but the funny part lies in the ‘Related post’ segment wherein there is a news titled – Former NGO leader shot at in Mohali. Just comparing both news..