A 10-year-old rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), on the loose after its escape from the Corporation Mini Zoo at VOC park on Friday was tranquilised and captured on Sunday morning.
The monkey that made its way out of the cage on Friday morning first attacked a four-year-old boy, who was walking along with his grandmother, in a bid to snatch the snack packet from his hand and another 50-year-old woman near the Central Prison entrance.
The corporation zoo staff, led by Zoo Director and Veterinarian K. Asokan, were on their toes for the last two days. They kept a cage borrowed from the Forest Department and stocked it with fruits and pongal. To lure the monkey, the stock was replenished at regular intervals. Sedative tablets were crushed into powder and was laced with sugar and mixed in the fruit. But, the monkey never came anywhere near the cage.
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On Saturday evening, the staff switched over to the idea of tranquilising. Using a blow pipe, mild dose of sedative drug was shot at the monkey. The monkey managed to escape only to get another shot of sedative. But, both the attempts failed.
On Sunday morning, the officials deciding to bring an end to the hunt for the monkey, sought the services of the Forest Department. District Forest Officer V. Thirunavukkarasu directed the Forest Veterinarian N.S. Manoharan to carry forward the operation to capture the monkey.
Mr. Manoharan and Mr. Asokan resumed the operation in the morning and within an hour, the monkey was tranquilised using a blow dart with sedative drug. It was taken back to the zoo.
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Corporation Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy visited the zoo and saw the monkey and inquired about its health condition.
Mr. Ponnusamy also took stock of the precautionary measures taken to prevent the escape of animals from the zoo.