The residents of Tirusulam are at their wit’s end trying to keep monkeys from invading their homes and lives — yes, we are talking about real monkeys. As this area is ringed by hills and forested tracts, these primates swing by regularly. However, in recent weeks, they have been outstaying their welcome. “There have been many instances of monkeys attacking cattle and pet animals,” says M. Boopathy, a resident.“Whenever we go out, even if it is for a short while, we close the windows. Otherwise, the primates enter our houses through the windows, ransack the kitchen and take away edible items,” a group of residents say.
“They appear from nowhere. Pedestrians and motorists are startled by their sudden appearance on the road,” the residents point out.
R. Illavarasu, a resident, says that whenever he sees a chatter of monkeys hurrying across the road, he stops his vehicle and gives them the right of passage. “The risk of attack increases when the pedestrians are carrying covers with edible items. The monkeys snatch the covers. Any resistance is met with bared teeth,” a few residents point out.
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Illavarasu says several people have started feeding the monkeys. As fruits and dry fruits are fed to them, these monkeys have begun to look forward to these feeding sessions, he adds.Residents say the monkeys feel emboldened to enter houses in search of food. “I kept a bowl of fruits on the dining table in my house and went to the terrace to dry out the clothes. When I returned, I found the monkeys helping themselves to the fruits,” says M. Suganya, a home-maker. The monkeys seem to have imposed a curfew on the area. Residents are scared of stepping out of their houses after sunset. “People are afraid of going to the terrace to dry out the clothes. The kitchen door and the windows have to be kept locked always. Otherwise, the monkeys would enter the house, scatter the food and destroy electrical appliances,” says R. Mohammed Mustafa, a resident.