The tourism industry in Agra has demanded immediate steps to contain the monkey menace in the Taj city.
The tourism industry in Agra has demanded immediate steps to contain the monkey menace around the historical buildings in the city after a series of incidents of monkey attacks on visitors.
A fortnight ago, a monkey had snatched a 12-day-old infant from the lap of his mother and killed the baby. In a similar incident, an old woman was attacked by an army of monkeys.
Both the incidents have created a shock wave in the city, leading to demonstrations by agitated locals.
Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar claimed to have held several rounds of meetings but said the result remained poor as government agencies indulged in passing on the issue.
An official alleged the district administration neither has the expertise nor the funds to deal with thousands of monkeys.
"Even if we manage to capture some, where shall we house them or leave them? Provision of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 leaves no room for any drastic measures against monkeys," the official said.
Tourism industry leaders have called for prompt measures to save the Taj Mahal from monkeys.
"Tourists feel insecure and restrict their movements fearing attacks from stray animals. These many cases of reported bag snatching and monkey bites create a sense of fear in visitors when they arrive here," Sandeep Arora, a hotelier in Agra, said.