A suspected case of illegal transportation of monkeys came to light on the Georai bypass in Beed district on Thursday after a tempo carrying around 20 to 25 monkeys was intercepted amid a traffic jam caused by a major road accident.
According to sources, the vehicle drew attention when it attempted to move forward hastily through the congested stretch under suspicious circumstances. Shiv Sena tehsil chief Uddhav Madke stopped the tempo and inspected it, discovering that a large number of monkeys had allegedly been crammed inside.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the driver failed to produce any permission from the Forest Department or any other official documentation required for transporting wild animals. Madke then escorted the vehicle to the Georai Police Station and handed it over to the authorities.
Sources said the tempo and the monkeys have since been handed over to the Forest Department for further investigation and legal action. However, no official action from the department was taken at the time of reporting.
The incident has raised concerns over possible wildlife trafficking in the region and how such a large number of monkeys were allegedly transported without valid permits.
Forest officials Sunil Takankhar and Forest Officer Amol Sangule were unavailable for comment. Officials said the exact facts will become clear after completion of the investigation, and further details are awaited.
