BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 18th December 2025: Unakoti district witnessed a disturbing incident on December 16, when a rare and endangered spectacled monkey was electrocuted near the Chandipur Panchayat office. The death, caused by contact with a live electric wire while leaping between trees, has sparked outrage—not only for the loss of a protected species but also for what locals describe as glaring negligence by the Forest Department.
For days, residents had observed a group of 10–12 spectacled monkeys, including both adults and juveniles, roaming freely among trees in the locality. Driven from their natural habitat by rampant deforestation and acute food shortages in the hills, the monkeys had descended into human settlements. While their presence damaged crops, no preventive or rehabilitative measures were initiated by the authorities to ensure their safety.
The tragedy took place when one elderly monkey was fatally electrocuted. The following morning, locals found its lifeless body on the roadside, triggering shock and sorrow. Witnesses described a rare and heartbreaking sight: the remaining monkeys stood guard around their fallen companion, preventing curious onlookers from approaching—a display of loyalty that raised uncomfortable questions about human responsibility toward wildlife.
Forest officials eventually arrived, retrieved the carcass, and conducted a post-mortem before quietly performing the burial. Sources say the process was carried out hastily and without public explanation. This silence has fueled criticism: is the department’s duty fulfilled merely by filing reports and conducting formal burials?
Concerns remain acute, as groups of spectacled monkeys continue to wander in the same area, exposed to open electric wires, unsafe surroundings, and food scarcity. Yet, no clear plan has been announced for their rehabilitation, relocation, or the creation of safe corridors.
Environmental experts warn that unchecked deforestation and destruction of natural habitats are forcing endangered species into human settlements. Unless immediate and humane interventions are taken, more such deaths will occur quietly—and “burial” will remain the only official response.
