Residents of the Chandivli area in Mumbai are grappling with a growing monkey menace that has left them hassled and concerned for their safety. According to locals, the monkeys have become increasingly bold, entering residential flats by opening sliding doors and windows. Once inside, they consume food, ransack kitchens, and even break items like eggs and glass bottles of juice.
The situation has created a sense of fear among women and children in the community, as some of these monkeys and langurs are notably large in size. Synchronicity, located on Nahar Amrit Shakti Road in Chandivli, seems to be one of the areas most affected by these primate intrusions.
One resident shared, "After entering the flats, they consume all the food in the house. They even open the fridge, and break eggs and glass bottles of juice. Residents, especially women and children, are terrified."
Efforts to mitigate the issue have been met with challenges. Residents have been advised not to feed the monkeys and to keep their doors and windows closed. However, some senior citizens find it difficult to maintain closed windows and sliding doors constantly. The monkeys have been known to manipulate sliding doors to gain entry.
Puneet Kapoor, secretary of Palatial Height Co-op Hsg Society, as reported by The Times of India, said "We are carrying out a painting job in our society. The monkeys enter kitchens, splash everything and scatter things around. They go to the parking area and other areas, where kids are playing. We've sent images to forest department."
"A forest department official, as reported by The Times of India, stated, "We can't just catch the monkeys and take them away from a place. Monkeys usually stray from a forested area, which is their natural habitat, into nearby residential areas. However, if the monkeys are attacking people, then we will assess the situation and depending on thaat, we will catch them and leave them in a forest region."