Gray Langur finally captured from Panjlasa, released in Morni Hills

Officials from Haryana’s Forest and Wildlife Department on Monday finally rescued a Gray Langur, Hanuman langurs or Hanuman monkeys, that had strayed into Panjlasa village near Naraingarh in Ambala district.

The rescued langur was later released in its natural habitat in a forested area of Morni Hills. The Gray Langur, which is protected under Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, had separated from its pack and strayed into Panjlasa, around two-and-a-half months ago. The animal, over a course of time, had become a source of menace in the area, losing its fear of humans and targetting moving two-wheelers often. While some residents claimed that the simian often entered their kitchens and stole food, others said that the langur pushed two-wheelers or jumped on the roof of moving cars on the roads.

“It took us more than two hours to rescue the Gray Langur. We had placed a handful of peas along with some bananas in a cage to lure it in. The langur, however, did not take the bait for a long time. Later, it followed a stray dog into the cage. As the dog came out of the cage, we shut its iron doors, thereby trapping the animal. We then placed a black cloth over the cage and transported the animal from the village to Morni Hills. The animal was later successfully released in the forest,” a wildlife official said.