Monkey menace: Iron grills put to protect food items in Kirana stores

Karimnagar: Like liquor shops being protected with iron grills to avoid problems from unruly customers, kirana stores in this district are now sporting iron grills or mesh around them - as a precaution against invasion by monkeys.

Monkeys are frequently entering villages from nearby hillocks and forests.

Their attacks on villages and kirana stores have increased in recent years.

Lack of food sources due to destruction of hillocks and forests is prompting monkeys to enter into villages and look around for food or fruits. Kirana stores are easy prey.

Readymade food items like biscuits, chocolates, chips, bread packets and other packed food items are taken away.

Kirana store owner Kotha Srinivas arranged iron grills at his shop in Chenjarla of Manakondur mandal on the Karimnagar- Warangal main road.

A small window is arranged in an iron frame to give items and take money from customers.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Srinivas said groups of monkeys used to invade the shop in one go and flee with food items.

“Unable to tolerate the loss, I too arranged the iron mesh,” said another shop owner, Chokkarapu Rajkumar of Gattududdenapalli.

Monkeys used to stay in nearby hillocks, but they have lost sources of food and shelter as hillocks were converted into granite quarries.

Hence, they started entering residential areas in search of food, he said.

Some residents are also taking precautions.

People in a few localities in Karimnagar town have fixed mesh boxes in front of their houses to store garbage.

Notably, municipal sanitation staff will not collect garbage from houses on Saturdays and Sundays.

People would not like to keep garbage inside the house since a foul smell emanates from it.

“If this is kept outside, monkeys would create a mess. So, we have set up iron mesh boxes to protect it from monkeys,” the families said.

Besides houses, owners of small hotels, eateries etc have also arranged mesh boxes.