20 monkeys found dead near Gundlupet in Karnataka, probe ordered

In a shocking incident, carcasses of 20 monkeys were found stuffed in bags and dumped along Kandegala-Kodesoge Road in the buffer zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve near Gundlupet on Wednesday morning.

The incident comes close on the heels of the recent poisoning deaths of five tigers in the MM Hills area of Chamarajanagar district, sparking widespread outrage among wildlife activists and locals.

According to forest department officials, passers-by noticed the bags lying by the roadside around 6.30 a.m. and alerted the authorities. A team led by the Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gundlupet division, rushed to the spot along with sniffer dogs and veterinary staff.

Preliminary findings suggest that the monkeys were killed elsewhere and their carcasses transported and dumped to avoid detection. Two monkeys were found alive at the scene. They were shifted to the veterinary hospital in Gundlupet for treatment, a note issued by the department said.

Senior officials, including the Project Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, visited the spot to assess the situation. Post-mortem examinations have been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of death and confirm suspicions of poisoning.

Forest department teams are scanning CCTV footage from roads leading to the location to identify the vehicle used to transport the monkeys. However, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

Locals expressed shock over the incident, stating there were no reports of monkey menace in the surrounding villages, strengthening suspicions that the animals were killed elsewhere and dumped to mislead authorities.

A case has been registered, and a special team has been constituted to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings.