A day after a mass killing of monkeys was reported in the district, the Forest Department says it plans to investigate the matter alongside the agencies and departments concerned.
As many as 30 wild monkeys, including many babies, were found dead near the Kanive Borappa temple at Kere Thonnur, Pandavapura taluk, on Sunday morning. Locals later buried the monkeys near the spot.
According to police and Forest Department sources, the simians were killed elsewhere and their carcasses dumped near the temple.
Exhumation
“We are planning to exhume the carcasses to conduct an investigation,” a forest official told The Hindu on Monday. The department has already brought the matter to the notice of senior officials at Bengaluru and Mysuru, the official added.
The police will work on tracing the scene of the crime and apprehending the miscreants, he said. The other agencies will collect samples from the carcasses to ascertain the cause of death and the substances used to kill the monkeys.
Meanwhile, village elders have decided to build a temple for the monkeys where they were buried.
“We worship monkeys as they are an avatar of Hanuman. So we will raise funds from like-minded people and construct the temple,” said Nanjaiah, a villager.
₹50,000 reward for information
Humane Society International-India has offered a reward of up to ₹50,000 for any “useful” information regarding the death of scores of monkeys at Pandavapura.
N.G. Jayasimha, director of HSI-India, said cash rewards would be given to those giving information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for the mass killing. The organisation has also sent a notice under Section 55 of the Wildlife Protection Act to the Forest Department seeking a thorough probe.
