hirty two monkeys lost their lives in a 20 feet deep and 7 to 8 feet of water in a concrete irrigational well at village Soraath under the Panki block in Palamu last night. 

The band of monkeys had jumped into the well only to drink water where they got drowned as they could not have space for sailing through. 

The number of the monkeys was enormous and the diameter of the well proved too short for them to sail through. 

Incharge DFO Medininagar Kumar Ashish has confirmed the death of 32 monkeys in the well. He described it as death by drowning. 

He said the monkeys were too desperate for water. There is stated to be a dam there called Teytarya dam barely 2 kms away from the well where this tragedy occurred. 

Sources said had this dam water in it these monkeys would not have come to this well to jump into the watery grave. 

Exactly 10 days ago three jackals had jumped in to the well under the Chainpur block.

The jackals were also in search of water. The forest team rescued the three alive. 

Ashish agreed that this tragedy of the monkeys is spurred by the fact that there is hardly any water for these animals as a result they risk drinking water ultimately to lose their lives. 

Ranger Umesh Kumar Dubey said a team of 3 vet doctors performed the autopsy. It was a plain death by drowning of all the monkeys. 

Under order of the incharge DFO Medininagar Kumar Ashish the carcasses of the monkeys were buried after the post mortem. 

District animal husbandry  officer Dr Prabhakar Sinha said the carcasses had putrified and there was the most nauseating smell around. 

The well belonged to a raiyyat Hemant Ram and the well is 15 years old. Ranger Umesh Kumar Dubey said the well is far away from the forest land.