DLF residents in monkey zone

DLF City residents have been plagued by the menace of monkeys, who not only enter their houses and destroy things but also have started attacking people, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.

DLF City residents have been plagued by the menace of monkeys, who not only enter their houses and destroy things but also have started attacking people.

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Suresh Kumar (55), a resident of E-Block, is the latest victim. Last week a group of monkeys entered his house in DLF City - I and attacked him.

Earlier too a number of children, women and senior citizens have been attacked by groups of monkeys. According to rough estimates at least 15 cases of monkey bites are reported every month.

Being located in the vicinity of the Aravali hills, which has adequate green cover to house monkeys, DLF City is vulnerable to monkey menace.

Kumar, who is with a Japanese multinational company, said besides suffering mental and physical agony, he was also forced to concede financial loss of Rs 25,000 - for five anti-rabies serums he needs as treatment.

However, residents seem divided when it comes to getting rid of monkeys from the area.

DLF officials said the firm had hired two black-faced monkeys (langur) and their attendants to scare the monkeys.

"But there are plenty of hurdles when it comes to shooing away or relating the monkeys. There is a faction of residents who love animals. And then there are the animal activists and threaten us of penal action under the Wildlife Act if we try to touch the moneys," said another DLF official.

Sahid Khan, district wildlife officer, said the department does not have enough expertise to catch monkeys and the department calls professional monkey catchers from Mathura when required.

"We had received complaints from DLF city earlier and got them monkey catchers from Mathura. We also received complaints from the municipal department,” Khan said.