Maharashtra: 2 monkeys found dead in Thane; carcasses exhumed

 Two monkeys were found dead in Thane city of Maharashtra on Monday under mysterious circumstances with conflicting claims being made on the exact cause of their death.

Earlier in the day, Thane Municipal Corporation's regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Santosh Kadam said the two langoors prima facie died of electrocution after coming in contact with a live wire atop an electric pole in Ram Nagar area, adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

Kadam said local people told RDMC officials that some unidentified teenagers from the locality had buried the dead monkeys on a nearby hill, following which the forest department was informed.

Forest official Narendra Muthe told PTI that the carcasses of the monkeys have been exhumed and sent to Thane SPCA Emergency Animal Care Centre for examination.

Meanwhile, the SPCA has expressed doubt over reports that the monkeys died of electrocution.

"The SPCA has asked the forest department to conduct a postmortem of the monkeys to ascertain the exact cause of their death," an SPCA spokesperson said.

The carcasses of the monkeys bore multiple bruises and bloodstains were found on some organs, indicating that they might have been beaten, the SPCA said.

SPCA Thane president Shakuntala Mazumdar claimed at least five monkeys had died in Ram Nagar locality in the last two months.

Muthe said the carcasses of the simians were handed over to the SGNP. 

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)