Monkey rescued from warehouse in Talegaon MIDC

The animal entered the facility on Friday evening, causing panic among employees and disrupting operations

A monkey that had disrupted activity in the Talegaon Dabhade MIDC area for over a week was captured from a Flipkart warehouse on Saturday during a joint rescue operation conducted by the Pune Forest Department and local wildlife teams.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of range forest officer (RFO) Prakash Shinde and Nilesh Sampatrao Garade, founder of Wildlife Rescuer Maval.  (HT)

The animal entered the facility on Friday evening, causing panic among employees and disrupting operations. Company officials estimated losses of ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh due to the temporary suspension of work and minor damage. One or two employees sustained minor injuries.

After receiving information on Saturday, February 21, officials from the Pune Forest Department’s Vadgaon Maval range responded promptly and launched a joint rescue operation. They were assisted by members of Wildlife Rescuer Maval and the NJ Rescue Team, who worked together to safely capture the animal without causing harm.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of range forest officer (RFO) Prakash Shinde and Nilesh Sampatrao Garade, founder of Wildlife Rescuer Maval.

Speaking about the rescue, Shinde said, “The monkey was behaving aggressively, likely out of panic, and injured a few employees. However, our team managed to capture it carefully and safely. After a preliminary health assessment, it was released into a suitable forest area for rehabilitation. The swift response helped avert a potentially major incident.”

Officials said increasing urbanisation and shrinking forest habitats are forcing wild animals into industrial and residential areas in search of food and shelter. They appealed to citizens and companies to inform the Forest Department through the 1926 helpline or contact authorised wildlife rescue organisations if wild animals are spotted.