In a deeply disturbing incident, 20 monkey carcasses were found stuffed in sacks and dumped along the Kandegala-Kodasoge Road, located in the buffer zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve near Gundlupet, Mysuru district, on Wednesday (July 2).
Shocking discovery follows recent tiger poisonings
This grim discovery comes shortly after five tigers were poisoned in the MM Hills region of Chamarajanagar district, sparking outrage among wildlife activists and locals alike.
Forest officials launch investigation
According to forest officials, passersby spotted suspicious bags around 6:30 am and immediately alerted authorities. A team led by the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Gundlupet division, along with veterinary staff and sniffer dogs, reached the scene to investigate.
Preliminary findings: Bodies dumped to evade detection
Initial investigations suggest the monkeys were killed elsewhere and dumped at the site to mislead authorities and avoid identification. Notably, two monkeys were found alive at the scene and have since been transported to the Gundlupet Veterinary Hospital for treatment, according to an official press release.
Senior officials visit, post-mortem ordered
The Project Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve and other senior officials inspected the site to assess the situation. A post-mortem has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death and confirm whether poisoning was involved.
CCTV footage is being scanned for leads
Forest department teams are currently reviewing CCTV footage from roads leading to the location in an attempt to identify the vehicle used to transport the monkey carcasses. However, no breakthrough has been reported so far.
Locals express shock, rule out local conflict
Residents of nearby villages expressed surprise and concern, noting that there have been no recent reports of monkey nuisance in the area. This further supports suspicions that the monkeys were killed elsewhere and dumped in Gundlupet to mislead forest authorities.
Case registered, special team formed
A formal case has been registered, and a special investigation team has been constituted to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings. The incident has added to growing worries about wildlife crimes in the region and renewed calls for stricter enforcement.
