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ShareRhesus Macaques are captured from wild and subjected to cruelty in the name of entertainment
You may have been amused by a madari and his performing monkey, but not if you knew what the animal has to go through to keep you 'entertained'.What goes on behind this dance, juggle, and somersault sessions is arduous training and cruelty before the animal is ready to perform and earn money for its owner.
Despite being protected under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1959, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and the Indian Penal Code, hundreds of Rhesus Macaques are captured from the wild, brought into the city and mistreated in the name of entertainment.
A slum at Kalwa (West) in Thane is a major centre for monkey training, where the animals are kept leashed and trained. "The madaris brutally beat the monkeys, starve them, and even give them electric shocks," said Nilesh Bhange of PAWS, Thane. The madaris trap baby monkeys from the wild and bring them to these slums. "These baby monkeys are not fed for weeks and are beaten up to perform tricks. If they fail to follow the instructions, they are then given electric shocks," Bhange said.
However, once the monkeys grow old and are unable to perform, they become a burden for the owner and are left on the roads to die, Bhange said. These abandoned monkeys become a menace for residents. Many a time they enter households in the city to fend for themselves, he added.
As per section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1959, beating, kicking, riding or teasing any animal is a crime. The offender can be fined Rs100 and/or face three months' imprisonment. Rhesus Macaques are covered under Schedule I of the Act. Under this Act, the offender can be fined Rs5,000 and/or be jailed for three years.
"The Wildlife department should take an initiative with the help of police and local animal welfare NGOs to rescue these monkeys and shift them to a rehabilitation centre. As these monkeys are used for begging and are a source of income for the madaris, their rehabilitation is equally important," Bhange said.
