Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 26: For the past few days, carcasses of monkeys have been found at Nanjinamakki and around Lord Yogaroodha temple, Hiliyana village in the taluk. The monkeys are dying one after the other under mysterious circumstances and locals are worried about this strange phenomenon.

The area where these deaths have been occurring is located about a kilometre away from Goligangadi market on Mandarthi road. So far the cause for these deaths has not been confirmed. After the carcass of a monkey was found near the above temple on Sunday, another body of a monkey was found lying near the house of Nanjinamakki Sridhar Shetty on Tuesday. When this carcass was being taken away for burying, two more carcasses of monkeys, one of which was decomposed, were found. The monkey whose body was found in a decomposed state is believed to have died last Monday.

On Tuesday evening, a semi-conscious monkey was found in the area. Several monkeys moving about in the forest area were found by locals to be unable to either raise their heads or climb the trees. Many of them are moving about erratically, not being able to stand steady or move straight. The people believe that either someone would have fed poisonous substances to the monkeys or they would have been infected with some deadly disease. They are worrying about the prospects of the disease spreading to humans.

Goliyangadi beat forest guard, Ravi, Avarse veterinary hospital in-charge medical officer, Dr Pradeep Kumar, Hiliyana veterinary centre senior animal inspector, Sridhar, Avarse primary health centre's health assistant, Devamma and others visited the spot and examined the developments.