Infant killed in fight between zoo monkeys in Multan

MULTAN:

An infant monkey was killed at a zoo in Khanewal when adult male monkeys attacked each other on Thursday.

Muhammad Faizan, a visitor to the zoo who reported the incident to the administration, told The Tribune that he was standing in front of the cage when the brawl broke out.

He said the adult monkeys had been making aggressive gestures for a while before. He said some of them then began to hit an infant monkey. He said within minutes, all the monkeys were attacking one another.

The zoo supervisor told newsmen that the zoo had seven male monkeys and three females. He said one of them had given birth a week ago. He said the zookeepers were trying to ascertain what had provoked the violence among the monkeys. He said some of them had attacked the zookeepers when they tried to retrieve the body. “The mother has been crouching over the body for several hours and is not allowing anyone near it. The males make noises every time someone approaches the enclosure.”

He said the area had been cordoned off for visitors.

Wildlife Department Assistant Director Munir Shah told newsmen that efforts were being made to separate the monkeys. “Special care is needed to deal with the mother who appears to be in great pain.”

“We will sedate some of the monkeys if they do not calm down,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2016.