Monkey in cage for 5 years inside police station

Balasore, Oct 14 (UNI) In clear violation of Wildlife Protection Act, a monkey has been kept in a cage for last five years inside the Remuna police station.

The monkey was captured by the villagers of Haripur and handed over to the Remuna police. Since then the animal has found the police station as his new home.

The police personnel have constructed a cage near the entry gate of the police station to house the monkey and taken all care of the animal.

Remuna Police station in charge N K Dhir when contacted said the animal was in cage before his joining the police station. He maintained that the police officials and their family members took lot of care right from bathing to providing regular meals.

" We had provided medical care when the animal fell sick in the past," police officials of the police station said proudly little knowing that caging a schedule animal was a criminal offence.

The animal lovers have taken string exception to the caging of the monkey and that too inside a police station, a law executing agency.

Animal activist Major General(retired) R K Sahoo said since the animal was treated as schedule II animal in the Wildlife Protection Act,its caging inside the police station was unlawful and demanded that the monkey be released forthwith in consultation with the forest officials.

No forest officials were available for comment on the caging of the animal inside the police station.

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