# Over 30 bitten as monkey menace grips two Keonjhar villages 2026-09-24T05:06:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet More than 30 people have been bitten by monkeys in Jagamohanpur and Sinkulabahal villages in Odisha's Keonjhar district, forcing residents to avoid stepping outdoors. Children are refusing to attend school and Anganwadi centres, while some villagers have stopped visiting the local health centre due to the presence of the animals. Residents have demanded that the Forest Department capture the monkeys and relocate them to nearby forests. The administration has been urged to act promptly, but no official response has been reported yet. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Monkey-human conflicts in Odisha have been rising as forest cover shrinks and simian populations adapt to village life. The Forest Department, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, classifies rhesus macaques as vermin in select districts, allowing culling or relocation after a chief wildlife warden's order. Keonjhar, with fragmented forests near mining belts, has seen repeated such incidents. For relocation to be effective, the department must trap the troop, often dozens strong, and transport them to notified forest ranges, a slow process that frequently fails. Villagers here are demanding exactly that, and the district administration will have to secure a translocation order from the state chief wildlife warden, a process that can take weeks or months. ## Coverage - odishatv.in Tags: Jagamohanpur, Keonjhar, monkey menace, Odisha Forest Department, Sinkulabahal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/over-30-bitten-as-monkey-menace-grips-two-keonjhar-villages/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/over-30-bitten-as-monkey-menace-grips-two-keonjhar-villages/#story-in-brief