The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=5&u=/nm/20030723/od_nm/odd_india_monkeys_dc

Monkeys Invade Tea Estate in Eastern India

CALCUTTA, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of hungry monkeys
have invaded a sprawling tea garden in eastern India,
chasing petrified workers and damaging machinery, the
estate manger said on Tuesday.    

More than 200 monkeys from a nearby forest have made
the estate in the tea-rich Jalpaiguri district in West
Bengal state their new home, forcing 1,700 workforce
to lock doors and move in groups while plucking tea
leaves. 

"It's really worrying. Workers are terrified as
monkeys are even going into the creche of the estate
and snatching food from their children," Shantilal S.
Pandya, the garden's general manager, told Reuters by
phone. 

The monkeys have injured one person and hit output at
the garden, which produces around 1.1 million kg of
tea a year. 

Pandya said the garden's management was hesitant to
use force to evict the monkeys as many workers revere
the Hindu monkey-god, Hanuman. 

"We cannot hurt the monkeys because of the sentiments
of the labor force. We have asked forest officials and
local environmentalists to help solve this monkey
crisis." 






__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com