Pune: Residents Flag Rise in Monkey Sightings in City Limits, Seek Forest Department Action
Pune, 17 March 2026: Residents from several parts of the city have expressed concerns over an increase in monkey sightings in urban areas, urging the forest department to take preventive steps to address the issue.
In a letter to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Pune, BJP leader Sandip Khardekar said on Tuesday that monkey troops are entering residential localities in search of food and water, particularly during the summer months.
He cited a recent sighting at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Haribhau Sane vehicle depot in Narayan Peth, and another incident reported a few days ago near Khadakwasla dam, close to Kondhwe Dhawade, where monkeys were seen gathered along the roadside.
While no incidents of attacks or injuries have been reported so far, residents have raised concerns about potential risks, especially to children and people living in densely populated areas.
Khardekar said he had contacted PMC’s garden superintendent Ashok Ghorpade, who informed him that the civic body’s animal rescue centre has been shut following directions from the forest department, and that such matters now fall under the forest department’s jurisdiction.
He has urged the forest department to take appropriate action to manage the situation and issue advisories to citizens to remain cautious.
