A newborn baby has died after he was violently thrown off a roof by a monkey while his horrified parents looked on.
Nirdesh Upadhyay, 25, was on a roof terrace at his home in the village of Dunka in Uttar Pradesh, India with his wife and four-month-old son when they were attacked by a troop of primates.
Left surrounded by the animals, he and his family attempted to make a quick escape before a fatal mistake ended in the tragic loss.
Nidresh accidentally stumbled and dropped the boy, with a lunging monkey instantly grabbing the tot by the hand and throwing him three stories off the roof before either parent could react.
The couple then darted down the stairs and ran outside to the baby's aid, but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
A case has since been opened into his death at Shahi police station, while Bareilly city conservation chief told PTI News that a wildlife team had been sent to investigate the monkeys.
Attacks on humans from the large roaming populations of rhesus monkeys in the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh have been reported in the past, with several of these involving children.
In 2020, an alcoholic monkey faced life behind bars after he went on a bloody rampage in the region. The booze soaked animal, known as Kalua, set off on his trail of destruction when his owner died.
The oculist had fed the pet hard liquor at home in Marzapur, but upon his death the alcohol supply the monkey was reliant on ran dry, prompting him to take to the streets in a blind fury.
The animal indiscriminately attacked humans as he passed them, making a particular bee-line for young girls. Numerous children were left needing plastic surgery after Kalua ripped at their faces with his fangs.
The same year, another group of monkeys ran away with coronavirus test samples after attacking a lab technician.
The technician was carrying test samples of three suspected Covid-19 patients when the bizarre incident is believed to have occurred in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
