Chamarajanagar– In a disturbing incident following closely on the heels of the poisoning deaths of five tigers, authorities in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district recovered the carcasses of 20 monkeys on Wednesday. Forest and police officials suspect the animals were deliberately poisoned.
Investigators believe the monkeys were poisoned at one location and their bodies later dumped along the Kandegala-Kodasoge road, within the jurisdiction of the Gundlupet police station. Further details regarding the motive and those responsible are yet to emerge.
This latest discovery comes shortly after another major wildlife crime in the region — the poisoning of a tigress and her four cubs in the Meenyam forest area, within the Hoogyam range of the Male Mahadeshwara Hills sanctuary.
Authorities had arrested three individuals in connection with the tiger deaths. The accused, identified as Konappa, Madaraju, and Nagaraju — all residents of Koppa village — reportedly confessed to poisoning the big cats in retaliation after a tigress killed one of their cows and dragged it into the forest.
Investigators found that the tigress and her cubs had partially consumed the poisoned remains of the cow when they returned to the site, leading to their deaths.
A local court presided over by Judge M. Kavyashree remanded the three accused to three days in the custody of forest officials.
The tiger deaths sparked public outrage, especially over the alleged negligence of senior Forest Department officials. In response, the Karnataka government placed three senior officers on compulsory leave.
According to official orders, the tiger carcasses were discovered just 100 meters from a road and only 800 meters from an anti-poaching camp — yet they remained undetected for several days. It also came to light that staff members at the anti-poaching camp had not been paid for three months.
The monkey deaths have intensified concerns over wildlife protection in the region, with conservationists calling for stricter enforcement and better oversight of forest areas prone to human-animal conflict. (Source: IANS)
