Gray langur back at zoo after ‘field trip’

Thiruvananthapuram: Twenty-four days after its city-exploration the female gray langur which escaped the zoo during the second week of June was successfully captured on Thursday. The monkey was captured from the washroom of a building near All India Radio at Vazhuthacaud.After days of tracking its movements and then pursuing countless false leads, the operation of monitoring the monkey was left to two zookeepers Ajithan and Suji George for the past 10 days. The animal was spotted on a coconut tree next to the building a day ago and was supplied with the required food from time to time. Understanding that there were only two options for the animal to move, either inside the building through the window or down the tree, the two keepers were on constant watch from the respective spots. Arrangements to trap the monkey as soon it entered the building through the window were also set.“Around 5 pm, the monkey entered the room. The windows were shut immediately. The animal then moved to the open washroom where it tried to escape by opening the ventilation shaft. It was then physically restrained and captured,” said Dr Jacob Alexander, the zoo veterinarian.The animal is currently being kept in a separate cage, since it has to be under observation for the next three weeks. “It has been out and about for a long time and hence needs to be quarantined for some time before it can join the others,” Dr Jacob said. The gray langur pair was brought to the city zoo as part of an exchange agreement with Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati on June 5.
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