The rhesus monkey cage is one of the first things visitors see on entering the National Zoo in Mirpur. Nearly two dozen monkeys live in the large enclosure, leaping into a small swimming pool inside it, and visitors enjoy watching them run about and splash. But on Friday (20 November) visitors were surprised to see two monkeys wandering around outside the cage.

Several visitors began asking, "How did the monkeys in the cage get outside? Did they slip out through a gap in the top of the cage?"

The zoo's information centre said a few rhesus monkeys escaped from the cage several years ago and could never be put back inside.

One zoo official said: "They stay outside and move about from tree to tree. They cannot be caught, but they do not bother anyone. These rhesus monkeys got out of the cage a long time ago. If you try to catch them, they run away."

A zoo security guard said four or five monkeys left the cage many years ago. They roam the zoo and the Botanical Garden, and they have since had young. Their number is now more than 20.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.