Monkey flees with Mathura DM's spectacles leaving netizens in splits

The banter between monkeys and humans is not unusual in Mathura and Vrindavan. Over the years, the area has witnessed monkeys picking on people's belongings and teasing them. Now, a video is going viral on the internet showing a monkey fleeing with Mathura District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal's glasses.

Recently, Mathura's DM Chahal visited the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura to look into a riot that occurred on Janmashtami. During the visit, a monkey flew away with DM's spectacles. The viral video begins with a crowd assembled and the cops attempting to take the glasses from monkey in some way. The video then shows the monkey returning the glasses after much effort and after being given fruit juice.

Netizens reaction

The viral video has left the netizens in splits and they have taken hilarious digs at the incident. One user wrote ‘ बंदर क्या जाने के सरकारी चश्मा था देना ही पड़ेगा’ (Monkey doesn't realise those are governmental specs that are supposed to be returned). While another user wrote ‘DM साहब चश्मा दान कर दीजिए’ (DM sir, please donate the specs to monkey) . A third user commented ‘Hope DM sahab finds ways to tame these monkeys or confine them to specific areas where they can love and intrude less in other humans live’.

Monkeys have always been a concern in Mathura and Vrindavan. Even locals in these places tell tourists to take off their spectacles before entering a temple. Even though the forest agency had specific plans to address the issue, including moving monkeys to a safari, nothing like that appears to have been implemented.

Reportedly, Dr Laxmi Gautam, convenor of the ‘Kanakdhara Foundation’, an NGO in Vrindavan, spoke about the increasing monkey menace in the city. ‘’The monkey menace is such that residents of Vrindavan are forced to put up iron nets at their houses to safeguard themselves from the aggressive animals. People have died because of monkey attacks, but there seems to be no solution in place," she said.