A contractor, tasked to catch monkeys from here and release them in a distant forested area, stuffed them into small cages and abandoned them in a colony here to save costs, an animal rights group activist said on Tuesday.
"The Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad awarded a contract to catch monkeys and to leave them in a far forest. But the contractor, in a bid to cut costs, brutally stuffed monkeys caught from various locations into a small cage at a place in Hindon Vihar," said Ashima Sharma, president of People For Animals (PFA).
Sharma said that as she got the information, she rushed to the spot.
"I found poor monkeys stuffed in a cage fighting and injuring each other and squealing in pain.
"Innocent animals were biting each other in irritation. Many of them were found in a badly-wounded condition and some died of hunger and thirst. Female monkeys with babies were crying and their babies were found in very critical condition."
Sharma said that while she ensured the animals were shifted to a bigger cage, Municipal Commissioner Chandra Prakash Singh had agreed to send all injured animals and monkeys with babies at to the PFA Shelter for treatment.
He had also assured to take serious action against the contractor who has done this cruel act, while the healthy monkeys are now being released and sent to Bijnor, she added.
The Municipal Commissioner meanwhile told IANS that he has directed immediate action against the contractor.
--IANS
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