Madras HC allowed veterinarian to reunite with injured monkey he had been treating for 10 months

The Madras High Court has allowed a veterinarian to be reunited with a partially paralyzed baby monkey he had been treating for 10 months in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.

According to a report by NDTV, the young monkey was paralyzed after being attacked by dogs multiple times in Coimbatore and was recently shifted to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai by forest authorities who, according to a veterinarian, paid no attention to the welfare of the animal.

Veterinarian Dr. Vallayappan says the monkey requires constant care as it is not yet fully recovered and independent. The court allowed him to visit the monkey on Saturday and submit a report that will help decide the case.

Dr Vallayappan looked after the monkey from December last year until October this year when authorities relocated it two weeks ago. The court noted that the bond between humans and animals must be approached with care and sensitivity.

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Valliappan approaches Madras High Court

According to a report in the Free Press Journal, in December last year, when Valliappan visited Ranipet district for a dog sterilization camp, a forest guard found a two-month-old wounded bonneted macaque bitten by a dog with symptoms of rabies.

The monkey, which weighs just 200 grams, was treated by Valliappan, who has kept the animal under his personal care for the past 10 months. During this period of time, the macaque remained dependent on it, including for feeding, sleeping and excretion.

After forest officials removed the monkey from his custody, Valliappan approached the Madras High Court seeking the animal’s return to him for permanent care. He assured the court that he would submit regular progress reports and, if necessary, present the monkey to the forest authorities.

A report detailing the “interaction” between him and the monkey will be submitted by Valliappan and forest officials on November 19. After this, the court will decide on his request to temporarily keep the monkey until it can feed itself.