The forest department has trapped 35 monkeys in Trimbakeshwar ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela flag-hoisting ceremony on October 31, after monkey-bite cases in the temple town rose to 512 in 2025-26.
The animals have been shifted to a forest facility around 10km away and will be released into their natural habitat after the President’s visit, officials said. The trapping drive was intensified after the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council and local councillors requested intervention over the growing number of incidents involving monkeys in populated areas.
Data obtained from the sub-district rural hospital shows that reported monkey-bite cases increased from 121 in 2020-21 to 512 in 2025-26. Cases stood at 150 in 2021-22 and 141 in 2022-23 before rising to 367 in 2023-24. The latest figure represents an increase of nearly 40% over the 367 cases recorded two years earlier.
Shekhar Deokar, range forest officer of the Trimbakeshwar forest range, said the operation was stepped up to prevent any untoward incident during the President’s visit. “We have started trapping monkeys in Trimbakeshwar ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit for the flag-hoisting ceremony of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The exercise is aimed at preventing any monkey menace during the event,” Deokar told the Times of India.
Deokar said the municipal council had sought the forest department’s intervention after the rise in monkey-bite cases. The department also obtained figures from the sub-district rural hospital, which officials said showed a clear increase in such incidents.
Forest officials said monkeys are frequently seen around the Trimbakeshwar temple, Kushavart, Main Road, Namdev Bhavan, Ballaleshwar temple, Ganesh temple and Krishna temple. The animals generally descend into the town from the Brahmagiri mountain and Gangadwar areas.
Their movement through populated areas is most noticeable during the afternoon and evening, when residents and pilgrims often feed them, officials said. Cages are therefore being placed at strategic locations during these hours as part of the ongoing operation.
“We have trapped 35 monkeys over the past few days. The drive will continue ahead of the President’s visit, and we will try to trap as many as possible to minimise the possibility of any monkey-related incident,” a forest official said.
Officials estimate that between 70 and 80 monkeys may currently be present in the temple town, although there is no exact population count. The trapping drive is expected to continue before the October 31 ceremony, after which the captured animals are to be released into their natural habitat according to procedure.
