E-Paper
Spanish woman bitten by monkey at Taj Mahal
A woman tourist from Spain was bitten by a monkey in front of the Royal Gate of the Taj Mahal on Monday morning, when she was trying to take a photograph of the simian
A woman tourist from Spain was bitten by a monkey in front of the Royal Gate of the Taj Mahal on Monday morning, when she was trying to take a photograph of the simian. The shocked woman tourist was provided first aid at the monument and was later taken for treatment to a private hospital.
“The incident took place at about 8.30 am on Monday when a Spanish woman was attacked by the monkey. She was given first aid on site and then taken for an injection to a hospital. The incident happened when the woman tourist was trying to take a photograph of the simian near the Royal Gate,” said Prince Vajpayee, the senior conservation assistant for the Archeological Survey of India at the Taj Mahal.
“There has been a rise in such attacks by monkeys targeting the tourists including the foreign tourists in recent days” admitted the ASI official, adding, “We have already written to the forest department two days ago, besides letters to concerned authorities in the past. The ASI staff has been asked to do the best they can by chasing away monkeys but there are limitations to our efforts as we cannot harm the animal.”
In 2019, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) entrusted with the security of Taj Mahal within Taj Mahal premises had provided slingshots to personnel to keep monkeys at bay but the move did not go well with animal lovers and the idea was shelved.
Monkey menace is not new to Taj Mahal but recent days have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of such attacks. ASI officials at the Taj Mahal have written to the Forest Department and Agra Nagar Nigam to resolve the issue but a solution to the problem is still to be found.
