30 monkeys found dead under mysterious circumstances in Chikkamagaluru

Thirty monkeys were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Koppa division of Chikkamagaluru district on Friday, officials said.

A preliminary inquiry has revealed that these 30 monkeys, including four young ones, were allegedly fed some poisonous substance and later beaten to death, a senior forest official said.

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The exact cause of death will be ascertained only after the post-mortem examination is conducted, they said.

"As per our initial inquiry, these monkeys were allegedly fed some poisonous substance and when they became unconscious, they were beaten with some blunt weapon. After they died, they were brought in some vehicle and thrown inside the forest area," he said.

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The matter came to light on Friday afternoon when a forest department staff member found the bodies of monkeys in the forest area, he added. "Based on a complaint filed by the concerned forest officer, a case has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

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Post-mortem is being done. An investigation is underway to find out in which village this incident happened. The culprits will be identified and punished," the officer said.