Wild Rhesus macaque’s antics inside zoo adds to attraction

Vadodara: Sayajibaug zoo inmates have been at the receiving end of a mischievous little primate’s pranks, much to the visitors’ delight. Nobody knows how the tiny Rhesus macaque migrated to the zoo, but the monkey has happily adopted it as its home. He seemed to have bonded well with the wild animals there as well, as none of the other species seem very annoyed as he flits in and out of their cages.
“It was seen for the first time about two months ago. The macaque initially spent some time on the trees and then began going around the zoo. It hops around in the wild animals’ enclosures fearlessly,” said Pratyush Patankar, zoo curator.
It is often seen monkeying around the enclosure of the leopards and teasing the big cat. “We tried to capture it with the help of forest officials but our attempts didn’t succeed,” Patankar added.
The five-year-old macaque also gets into a fight with the primates kept in the zoo cages. “We have 11 Rhesus macaques in enclosures and this wild one often gets into fights particularly with the male monkeys,” Patankar said.
The fights are sometimes fierce and the zoo staff have to intervene and shoo it away. It feeds on the fruits and any food is available in and around the zoo.
This monkey is usually not seen in the urban areas of Vadodara that is dominated by the langoors. An intelligent primate, Rhesus macaques usually live in groups.
“But we had got complaints from the airport authorities some time ago that some Rhesus macaques ventured on the runway,” Patankar said. The Rhesus macaque usually feeds on fruits, roots, herbs but in urban areas it also gobbles up any food available.