Delhi Zoo caretaker suffers severed finger, deep leg bites after monkey escapes enclosure; visitor also attacked

A Delhi Zoo caretaker suffered multiple injuries, including a severed finger and deep bites on both legs, after a monkey escaped its enclosure and attacked the employee inside the staff gallery. A visitor was also injured in the attack, according to a zoo staffer.

The incident occurred on Monday morning, when caretaker Alok entered the gallery, a space located outside the animal enclosures and used by caretakers and other zoo staff.

Alok said the monkey ((bonnet macaque species) came out of its enclosure on Sunday night after its gate was allegedly not locked properly and entered the caretaker gallery.

The bonnet macaque is a brownish monkey commonly found in southern India and is known for its agility and strong bite.

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"The monkey was already there when I entered the caretaker gallery. Before I could do anything or call anyone, it attacked me. There were also a few visitors in the area at the time," Alok told PTI.

He alleged that the monkey subsequently attacked a visitor as well.

"It ran out and attacked one of the visitors and bit him on the thigh," he said.

The zoo director did not respond to the allegations despite attempts to contact him.

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Alok alleged that the enclosure's locking mechanism was faulty and could not be secured properly, allowing the monkey to escape.

"The monkeys tend to come out (of the enclosure) because of this," he said.

He further alleged that the animal section in-charge did not regularly visit the enclosure to check on the animals and claimed that no range officer was present when the attack took place.

"At the time of the attack, there was no range officer there," he added.

The incident triggered panic among visitors, who raised an alarm after noticing the attack, following which zoo officials took the injured caretaker to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for treatment, he said.

A senior Delhi Zoo official said the same monkey had attacked another staff member in December 2025, leaving him with multiple injuries.

The latest incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of zoo staff who work closely with animals and the adequacy of safety arrangements around animal enclosures.

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In April 2025, a zookeeper trained to handle herbivores was assigned the responsibility of taking care of a leopard and suffered multiple injuries after an attack.

Zoo staffers have previously raised concerns about manpower shortages and the allocation of duties involving animals outside their usual areas of expertise.