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[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

Monkeys loot shops for food in disputed temple town 

Hungry monkeys have gone on the rampage in an Indian
temple town.

They have been plundering shops selling fruit and
vegetables in Ayodhya.

Pilgrims usually make offerings of fruits, nuts and
food to the monkeys. But visitor numbers have
plumetted because of fears of violence between Hindus
and Muslims.

The site of a razed mosque in the town is at the
centre of a nine year dispute between Hindus and
Muslims, who both consider it to be holy.

The tension was partly to blame for religious violence
that engulfed the western state of Gujarat earlier
this year. More than 700 people were killed.

Newspaper Aaj Kal reports a policemen who tried to
drive away the marauding monkeys had one of his ears
bitten off. 

Animal lovers have bought food for the famished
monkeys but say the efforts are barely enough to feed
a few hundred and there are over 20,000 in the town.
Authorities say they do not have resources to feed
them.

Shop keeper Pawankumar Sharma said: "It is unfair to
expect them to put on their best behaviour when they
are cut off from the food they normally get."

Millions of Hindu visitors to Ayodhya make offerings
to the monkeys who are believed to represent the
monkey god Hanuman.

S R Prajapati, assistant conservator of forests, said:
"We can only hope that things will soon get back to
normal. It's sad to see the animals trapped in a human
conflict."

Story filed: 10:12 Thursday 14th March 2002
Http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_544127.html

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