MATHURA: The municipal body of Mathura has started nabbing monkeys under a 15-day programme initiated to deal with the menace caused by the animals in the city.
In the programme started on September 1, over 100 monkeys have been nabbed so far, said Anunay Jha, Nagar Ayukta Mathura.
He said monkeys would be nabbed from Bankey Bihari temple area Vrindavan, Chaubia para and Dwarkadhish temple area of Mathura in the first phase of the programme.
However, other areas may be taken up after evaluating the success of the first phase, subject to permission of the forest department, officials said.
The forest department has given permission to run the programme for 15 days for now.
The monkeys caught from near the temples would be released in the forest reserve of Chambal, officials said.
A veterinary doctor has also been engaged to look after the health of the monkeys, they added.
The monkeys nabbed in a day would be released the following day, officials said, adding that Nagar Nigam would spend Rs 88 per monkey.
The notorious monkeys in Vrindavan would either whisk away people's spectacles, bag and food among other items.
Over half a dozen people had to lose their life either due to attack or fear of monkeys in Vrindavan within (last) two years, said Dr. Avashesh Swami, the head of Gita Ashram Vrindavan said.
Dr Mukul Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology at Pt.Deen Dayal Veterinary university, said the exercise would pay rich dividend in the long term as it would check the growth of monkeys provided the focus is on one sex.