Veterinarian Can Meet Monkey He Nursed To Health: Madras High Court

In a heart-warming court decision, a veterinarian in Tamil Nadu has been allowed to meet and interact with a partially-paralysed monkey he took care of for 10 months and nursed back to health after a vicious dog attack.

V Vallaiappan, a veterinarian based in Coimbatore, had petitioned the Madras High Court for the baby monkey's custody last week. The High Court on Wednesday allowed him to interact with the monkey at a zoo on Saturday, after which it will decide on his request.

The animal, a survivor of dog bites in Coimbatore, was recently transferred to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai by forest authorities, without any consideration for its welfare, Dr Vallaiappan said in his plea.

The veterinarian said he found the wounded baby monkey at a dog sterilisation camp. The monkey had multiple dog bite injuries and was partially paralysed below the hip. The veterinarian said he took care of the animal from December last year to October 26, when authorities took the monkey away and moved it to a zoo.

Dr Vallaiappan argued in his petition that the monkey still needs care as it hasn't fully recovered or become independent. He also said while the monkey might eat out of hunger, it may not be able to ensure enough nourishment on its own and could fall ill without his care. He assured the court that if granted custody, he would furnish regular updates on the animal's health and allow inspections by officials too.

The High Court asked him to file a report after interacting with the monkey. Justice CV Karthikeyan also directed Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials to observe the interaction and submit a report by November 14.

The court observed that the bond between a human and an animal ought to be handled sensitively. The judge wanted to know whether the monkey would recognise its rescuer after two weeks of separation.