Lockdown impact: Starving monkeys attacking human beings in Ayodhya

It is not only human being but animals too who are facing the brunt of lockdown as monkeys who are close to starvation have started attacking human beings in the temple town of Ayodhya.

The Ayodhya police are now busy writing complaints about monkeys. “We have received several complaints of monkey bites in different part of Ayodhya in the past one week. And this number is on the rise,” Sushant Chaudhry a police inspector in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex said.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Shree Ram Temple Ayodhya Dr Anil Kumar said that the hospital is getting at least 40 patients of monkey bite daily. “These hungry monkeys are entering the residential areas for food and attacking human being when they are shooed away,” the doctor said.

The local people say that earlier the pilgrims coming to Ayodhya from different parts of the country used to feed these monkeys with bananas and other fruits. The pilgrims also worship these monkeys as sena (soldiers) of Hanuman.

During lockdown, entire Ayodhya has been sealed and no pilgrim is allowed to go to any temple or anywhere. The big Ram Navami fair was also not held this time.

All the hotels and restaurants are closed too. These restaurants too used to feed the extra or leftover food to moneys. Due to the lockdown, this source of food has also dried up.

Dr Kumar said that monkeys are turning violent due to lockdown as they are not getting food leading to such change in their behaviour.  There are no vehicles on the roads and therefore these monkeys are using empty roads as their play grounds. And if any commuter passes by, they attack him.

The local administration has asked the local ashrams and temples have started giving food to these starved monkeys but it is very small in quantity as compared to their numbers.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the NGOs and the Horticulture department to take care of stray animals including cow, dogs and monkeys.