Monkey menace; farmer seriously injured in tender coconut bashing by monkey

KOZHIKODE: A farmer who came to scare away a monkey was seriously injured after he was hit by a tender coconut. Raju John Thuruthippally(57), convenor of the Kattippara joint farmers' collective, was injured in the tender coconut bashing. Raju, who suffered severe injuries on his forehead, eyes and face, sought treatment first at a private eye hospital in Chungam and later at a private hospital in Omassery.

Raju had come to collect coconuts from the grove near his house on Friday afternoon. He tried to scare away the troop of monkeys by pelting stones when he noticed that they were plucking coconuts at the farm. One of the monkeys plucked a tender coconut and threw it at Raju John in the meantime. Though there has been a monkey menace in the area for a long time, locals said this is the first time such an incident has taken place there. It is widely known that when attacked, the monkey has the habit of attacking back in the same manner.