Man held for killing, eating protected monkey species

A man who had boasted of killing and eating a rhesus macaque monkey, a protected species, on social media, was arrested in Meghalaya, police said Monday.

The man was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Rhesus macaques, protected under the same Act, are familiar brown primates with red faces and rears. They have close-cropped hair on their heads and their natural range includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China.

The accused was arrested from West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya after the state forest department lodged an FIR, Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar told PTI.

After the man allegedly killed, burnt, and cooked the monkey, he posted photographs of it on social media from where PETA India came to know about it and urged the authorities to arrest him.

A PETA India statement released in Guwahati said following its request, the deputy commissioner ordered the SP and the divisional forest officer of West Garo Hills to form a joint team to investigate the matter and arrest the accused, Sengkud Sangma.

In the statement, the animal rights body said, "We commend the Superintendent of Police, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Divisional Forest Officer of West Garo Hills District for sending out a strong message that such cruelty will not be tolerated.