New Delhi (NVI): A male monkey was left seriously injured in a territorial feud between a troop of wild rhesus macaques on the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises in New Delhi on Sunday. The animal was rescued by the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit and is currently undergoing treatment.
The maintenance personnel went up to the Rashtrapati Bhavan terrace after hearing the high pitched cries of monkeys clashing with each other. While the troop scattered away upon seeing the staff, one macaque was found lying under a water tank, in a semi-conscious state.
The staff immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS 24 hour rescue helpline (+91-9871963535) for assistance. A two member rescue team was immediately dispatched by the charity which provides animal ambulance services to wild animals in distress across Delhi NCR.
Since the animal had sustained painful bite injuries, the Wildlife SOS team took great care in handling the rescue while ensuring least amount of stress was caused during the process.
Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects, Wildlife SOS, said “The macaque has sustained severe wounds on both his hind limbs & forelimbs and is currently undergoing treatment. It will be released back into its natural habitat when certified fit for release.”
Kartick Satyanarayan, Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO said, “It was heartening to see the staff at the President’s Estate go to the extent of caring for the welfare of animals in distress. The Rhesus macaque is one of the most common primate species to be found in the Indian subcontinent. They live in troops of around 20 to 180 monkeys and often compete with other troops for food and territory base. Shrinking habitats has led to more frequent struggles between animals over space and territory.”
The Wildlife SOS Hotline is the only 24-hour Wildlife and Reptile Rescue Cell in the National Capital Region (NCR) which address the problems of wildlife conflict in urban spaces accelerated by growing populations, rapid urbanization and misconceptions about many of the native species of wildlife with whom we share our landscape. They also conduct workshops and awareness programmes to sensitize the public to the presence of urban wildlife and encourage peaceful coexistence.
