Close Shave in Shimla as Langur Pushes Woman Towards Moving Car
Shimla: Growing concerns over the monkey and langur menace in Shimla took a frightening turn on Friday morning when a woman narrowly escaped being run over after a large langur allegedly pushed her towards a moving car at Boileauganj Chowk.
The dramatic incident was captured on the dashboard camera of a vehicle travelling behind the car and has renewed concerns over pedestrian safety and human-animal conflict in the hill town.
According to the available footage, the woman was crossing the road when the langur suddenly approached her and pushed her towards the moving vehicle. The driver managed to apply the brakes in time, preventing what could have been a serious accident.
The incident was particularly alarming as the animal appeared to act aggressively without any apparent provocation. The langur was seen crossing the road before approaching the woman and putting her in a potentially dangerous situation.
The episode comes just a day after another unusual simian incident at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shimla. A monkey snatched a packet containing nearly ₹81,800 from a person, climbed a deodar tree and scattered currency notes below.
Government employees and members of the public helped retrieve most of the money from the area beneath the tree. However, around ₹1,500 reportedly remained missing, while some ₹500 notes were torn by the monkey.
The two incidents within 48 hours have once again put the spotlight on the growing simian problem in Shimla’s busy public spaces. Encounters are no longer limited to monkeys snatching food or belongings, with their unpredictable behaviour increasingly posing risks to pedestrians and motorists.
While seasonal changes, food availability and other disturbances could influence animal behaviour, there is no established evidence directly linking such factors to the two recent incidents.
With monkeys and langurs frequently seen along roads, on buildings and in crowded public areas, the latest episode has raised fresh questions about measures being taken to reduce human-animal conflict in the state capital.
The back-to-back incidents underline the need for authorities, including the Forest and Wildlife Departments, to assess the situation and strengthen preventive measures before another encounter results in serious injury or loss of life.