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[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

Parole unlikely for inmates of monkey prison 

Officials say 11 inmates at India's only monkey jail
are unlikely to ever be released.

The prison in Patiala houses monkeys apprehended by
game wardens in Punjab state for thieving and
attacking people.

Hindu beliefs in Hanuman, the monkey god, mean even
rampaging monkeys are not destroyed by the
authorities.

The Daily Telegraph reports how the monkeys at the
prison in Motibagh Bir Zoological Park snarl and glare
at visitors from their heavily-barred cages.

Two monkeys were released a year ago after exhibiting
good behaviour for 18 months in the jail. They have
remained out of trouble.

But jailer Ram Tirath said the present inmates were
too wild: "All 11 monkeys are hard cases who have been
apprehended by game wardens for thieving, terrorising
and biting people. It's unlikely any of that any of
them will ever be paroled."

Problems with badly behaved monkeys in both the
countryside and cities has increased over recent years
in India.

One monkey was recently "arrested" for attacking
students on the campus of Punjab Agricultural
University in Ludhiana, another pair were caught after
stealing handbags from women and a monkey is being
hunted for attacking eight children over the last
month in a New Dehli suburb.

Troops of monkeys have also caused chaos after
spreading into government buildings in New Dehli, even
the HQ of the Indian Air Force.

Wildlife officials believe part of the problem has
been caused by thieves training monkeys to help them,
lorry drivers training monkeys as guards for vehicles
and itinerant entertainers using ill-treated monkeys
as part of their act. Often the monkeys are abandoned
when they turn violent or rebellious.

Story filed: 11:04 Saturday 12th January 2002
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_493499.html

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