How cool was the movie "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," which perfectly demonstrated bravery, betrayal, deceit and determination. But a similar plot in Gurgaon's residential apartment did not turn into a blockbuster hit, instead gave netizens something to ponder over how seriously the RWA members were taking the monkey "menace." It was no monkey business, to say the least.

A screenshot of the email forwarded to the residents of a Gurgaon apartment giving an update about the efforts taken to get rid of the monkeys in the apartment has gone viral. The point-by-point summary of steps taken by the Estate Office since April, which was when the incursion was first noticed, makes for an interesting read.

Monkey

"Since April, the residents of K Tower have been putting up with monkey menace. Initially, there was a large group which had intruded and our security could shoo a few away but two remained," reads the email sent by RWA addressed to the residents of the apartment.

The email goes on to say that the monkeys forayed to J and H towers of the apartment in the last few days and went about explaining the steps taken. The RWA dared not to skip even the slightest details, which made for an interesting plot.

Nothing short of a TV series plot

  1. Security was given big sticks and sling shots to shoo the monkeys away. That resulted in the reduction of the number of monkeys as some of them fled, leaving only two.
  2. In April itself, we hired a monkey chaser who could mimic Langur sounds to keep the monkey at bay. It did work for some time.
  3. We then realised that the monkey was using the shaft doors at the Kitchen balcony to access the homes. We requested the K Tower residents to allow us access to their homes to shut the shaft doors but due to COVID most of them initially denied us the access allowing the monkey to move freely and settle in.
  4. Meanwhile, we managed to get a cage from MCG to ensnare and catch the monkey. However, despite laying the bait, the monkey did not fall for it.
  5. The monkey chaser laid a trap for him in a vacant apartment and trapped the monkey. However, the monkey escaped by breaking the exhaust fan.
  6. We then got rid of the monkey chaser.
  7. Concurrently, we also used percussion and noisy equipment like airguns and other contraption to shoo the monkey away. It forced the monkey to lie low for a few days but it did not leave the Condo.
  8. Now we have engaged the services of a monkey catcher who has asked us to befriend the monkey so that it starts to accept food offered by our security. He will then cast a net to catch it. EWS is the most suitable place to carry this out. However, the monkey will have to be driven to EWS by security. They have done it in the past too.

What's next?

monkey
REUTERS/Caren Firouz

This email instantly got people talking on social media. Many were curious to know what happens next, while some humoured saying this could be an interesting plot for Netflix series. Veena Venugopal, who shared the email, declared the monkey emerged the victor in this saga. The humour continued as the thread was filled with sarcastic humour, poking fun at the RWA.