The forest department has launched an inquiry into the death of 19 monkeys, which were allegedly poisoned to death, to nab the perpetrators. The carcasses of the dead simians were found dumped along the National Highway (NH) 46 near Omarabad in Ambur Taluk in the district on Thursday.
The villagers found the carcasses of nine male adults and eight female adults along the NH 46. On information, the forest officials rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry. “An institution or a group of farmers would have poisoned the monkeys to protect their crops and get rid of the menace,” the forest official said.
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon Dr K Mohammed Shuaib conducted the post mortem on the animals on the spot. The carcasses of 16 out of 19 monkeys were highly decomposed and an autopsy could not be done one them. “We have taken the vital organs from the carcasses of three freshly dead animals,” the veterinarian said.
A senior doctor in Animal Disease Investigation Unit of Animal Husbandry Department said they could not trace symptoms of any specific diseases. It clearly indicated that the monkeys had been poisoned to death. The tissue samples of the dead animals were sent to the Regional Forensic Laboratory in Sathuvachari in Vellore for further examination.
Meanwhile, Forest Department launched a detailed inquiry into the case to track down the perpetrators. They also sought the help of the police to solve the case. “The villagers said they saw a vehicle, bearing Andhra Pradesh registration number, near the spot. We have also sent our personnel to the bordering villages to conduct an inquiry in this regard,” the official added.
The Forest Department would sent a report to the District Forest Officer of Tirupattur.
This is the second such incident in the district since the second week of February this year. A total of 30 monkeys have been killed till date. In the first incident, 11 monkeys were found dead and 10 in a weak condition in a mango grove in Mallapalli village near Vellakalnatham along the NH 46 on February 11.
The forest officials had saved 10 monkeys after providing them fruits and milk. “The 11 monkeys would have died due to starvation. But, we are yet to receive the post mortem report to confirm it,” the official said.