Monkey found with arrow stuck in back: Poaching attempt suspected in Thane national park

ADupe of an manifest poaching endeavour, or an assail to forestall it from entering certain areas, a monkey was found struck by a steel arrow on Friday morning near the Yeoor range of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Thane, Maharashtra.The NGO Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) rescued the injured monkey. Pawan Sharma of RAWW said that the monkey has undergone a surgery by veterinarian Priti Sathe and remains in a critical condition.Also read | Building activity in SGNP eco-zone raises alarmSGNP deputy conservator Pradeep Patil said the monkey was now with the NGO, and the territory range forest officer Narendra Muthe is looking in the matter.Environmentalists told HT the type of arrow makes it evident that it was likely fired by a professional archer using commercial-grade archery equipment. The incident has raised serious concerns regarding illegal establishments operating within or around this protected forest area, as well as the illicit activities taking place there, they said.Yeoor is home to numerous stud farms and turf grounds that offer training in adventure sports — such as horse riding and archery — and also host competitive events, and these activities violate the laws for a national park.Rohit Joshi, an executive member of the Joint Forest Management Committee, expressed grave concern. "This is an inhumane act and a direct assault on the wildlife inhabiting our protected forests. We will not only track down and punish the perpetrator behind this act but, with the cooperation of all committee stakeholders, the state forest department, the Thane municipal corporation, the police, and local residents, all illegal establishments operating in this area will now be made to face action," Joshi told HT.Also read | HC upholds tribunal order refusing to declare 193 acres in Thane ‘private forest’An urgent meeting has been convened to address this matter, which will be attended by representatives from the municipal corporation, police, local tribal communities, and animal rescue and welfare NGOs. The meeting will focus on formulating a comprehensive action plan to initiate strict measures against all illegally operating establishments within the Yeoor Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), it is learnt.The investigation will also extend to private bungalows and properties situated along the boundaries of the zone.It is suspected that the monkey may have been attacked to prevent it from entering these farms or bungalows.