Villagers Carry Sticks, Sleep In fear As Monkey Attacks Rise

KARIMNAGAR: Several regions are grappling with a rapidly escalating monkey menace, which has grown from a nuisance into a major threat to public safety, property and agricultural output across the erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts.

The crisis is marked by increasingly aggressive monkey troops attacking residents, causing extensive property damage, including electrical accidents, and inflicting financial and psychological distress on communities.

Direct attacks on people have become frequent and severe, with dozens of injuries reported and estimates suggesting the number could exceed a thousand. In Rajanna Sircilla district, a 52-year-old man, Banda Sattaiah of Gambhiraopet mandal, was severely attacked while leaving his home. Locals say more than 20 people have been injured in recent months. Victims often suffer serious wounds, sometimes even while sleeping on verandas, and end up spending ₹50,000 to ₹70,000 on treatment and anti-rabies vaccines.

The threat has become so pervasive that residents in affected areas now avoid stepping out without carrying sticks for protection. There are also allegations that several elderly people have died following aggressive monkey attacks.

In one incident, a woman in Racharla Boppapur village fell into a well while fleeing a troop. A Class V girl was attacked inside the Bavusaipet Mandal Parishad Primary School in Konaraopet mandal. In another case in Kothaguda mandal of Mahbubabad district, a man suffered a severe head injury after being attacked while riding a scooter.

Beyond physical danger, the monkeys are causing extensive destruction. In Karimnagar, a monkey fell onto a transformer near the Chigurumamidi bus stand, triggering a short circuit that burnt out meters, TVs and refrigerators in 14 homes. In Rajanna Sircilla district, troops routinely tear off and break roof tiles on traditional houses, leading to expensive repairs and leaks.

Families are forced to spend more on keeping their doors permanently shut or installing metal mesh on windows and doors to prevent intrusions. Monkeys regularly enter homes to steal groceries and other items, often attacking anyone who tries to chase them away. Residents say the crisis is so widespread that in some villages, the monkey population exceeds the human population.

With earlier measures like Monkey Food Courts failing and official action often delayed, communities and local officials are turning to innovative and unconventional methods to protect themselves. Farmers, in particular, have devised creative ways to safeguard their crops.

In Mannempalli village of Karimnagar district, farmer Komera Raj Kumar successfully protects his vegetable fields by installing a life-sized tiger doll, which scares away monkey troops instantly. The idea has gone viral, prompting several farmers in the village to adopt the method. In Elbotharam village, farmer Mekala Mahipal Reddy uses a high-volume sound device that plays elephant roars to protect his two acres of maize. The foreign, loud sound keeps monkeys and other animals away.

Similarly, in Vattemla village in Rajanna Sircilla district, the panchayat secretary deployed a sanitation worker dressed in a bear costume to chase monkeys away from the village and school. In Jangaon district, the Municipal Corporation has launched a pilot programme using sanitation workers dressed as black chimpanzees, an initiative that has generated hope for a long-term solution. A banana vendor in Warangal district found relief by installing a dog-siren device on his cart, as the barking sound frightened the monkeys.

As the situation worsens, Opposition party leaders have staged protests in several districts, demanding immediate government intervention and even calling for a specific law to control or eliminate the monkeys, describing the issue as a social crisis.

Meanwhile, previous community-led capture-and-release efforts provided only temporary relief, and official measures are now underway. Municipal officials in various districts are preparing to call for tenders to hire monkey catchers. However, residents say the rising frequency and severity of attacks highlight the urgent need for a coordinated, district-wide government strategy.