MONKEY ON ROOFTOP ROMP

Monkey on rooftop romp

Chong Chee Seong

A FIVE-year-old monkey, trained to pluck coconuts, turned unfriendly when the rope on its neck came loose on Saturday in Muar.

NO MONKEY BUSINESS: Wildlife and National Parks Department officers on the rooftop of a house to capture the monkey. (Inset) Noraqilah Farhana Azhar showing the wounds on her head after being attacked by the monkey.

The animal injured the head and arm of an 8-year-old girl, Noraqilah Farhana Azhar, at the Tanjung Agas housing estate.

The girl's angry father, Azhar Mohamed, 40, had chased it away, but the monkey went on a rampage for several hours, scampering from roof to roof and damaging television antennas.

A five-man team from the Muar Fire and Rescue Department arrived and tried to scare it away.

Operations officer Ismail Mahmood said the monkey hid under the roofs of the houses and refused to budge.

He said firemen later had to contact the Wildlife and National Parks Department to help capture the monkey. It was finally caught at 7pm.

The monkey's owner, who did not want to be identified, said the monkey had been with him for three years.

He said the animal had been trained to pluck coconuts and was usually tied near its cage after his daily routine.

"When I went to feed it in the afternoon, it was gone. I am sorry for the mischief it caused and hurt it caused."

It is learnt that the monkey is still with the Wildlife and National Parks Department.

SOURCE: NEW STRAITS TIMES, 26 SEPTEMBER 2008