Monkey checks into Chennai airport, keeps officials on toes

Arriving at Gate 4 around 7.30 am, the monkey entered the airport despite the efforts by the CISF personnel to ward it off. It took refuge on one of the beams where it settled with its loot of food while the airport staff spread a net below hoping to catch it.

As their efforts failed, the airport management sought the help of the Forest department’s wildlife wing. The latter set up a trap cage loaded with ‘goodies’ which included its favourite bananas, puffed rice and fried gram, inside the concourse near Gate 4, but it avoided the trap until late in the evening.

The ‘intruder’ would occasionally raid passengers for snacks, and return to its place on the roof beams with its booty. Passengers, who rushed to get their boarding passes, moved to their check-in areas to evade the unwanted visitor.

When contacted, airport authorities said that monkeys foray into airport premises from the adjoining forest. “We have alerted the forest department which has put in place its traps to capture the monkey,” the official said.

This is the fourth incident of monkey menace in the airport this year, and the first to sneak into the concourse from the gate, whereas in previous occasions monkeys came from the Pozhichalur and Cowl Bazaar sides of the airport. In a previous incident reported two months ago, the animal was caught after a five-hour excercise. On an other occasion this year, a simian stayed for two days before leaving the airport on its own