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Mass deaths of famous temple troop: Any monkey business?
By Vanessa Sridharan
Some 150 monkeys belonging to the famous Dambulugala Raja Maha Vihara temple troop — highlighted worldwide by the BBC — have died mysteriously amid fears they might have been poisoned or eaten some contaminated food.
The Peradeniya veterinary institute will be conducting an inquiry into the deaths of these monkeys in Dambulugala after the troop contracted an unknown disease.

The institute said the monkeys had showed symptoms of dehydration, frothing and foaming at the mouth and starvation due to the loss of appetite.
They were found dead at Dambulugala near the Raja Maha Vihara and the carcasses were due to be removed to the Peradeniya veterinary research institute for further testing as advance facilities were not available at the Dambulla veterinary institute.

Taya Dias, Scientific Consultant of the BBC documentary film on the Temple troop monkeys of Sri Lanka said: “Because of the large death toll, it is very unlikely that these monkeys contracted a viral infection, but it is possible that they were poisoned or ate some contaminated food. The Raja Maha Vihara monkeys are very aggressive and temperamental so it is very unlikely for them to have been fed by locals or tourists”.

When The Sunday Times contacted the Peradeniya veterinary research institute, an official while confirming the deaths of the monkeys said the institute was awaiting the arrival of the carcasses to conduct post-mortem examinations.

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