A month-old baby was killed by a monkey after it broke into his family home and snatched him away from the mother. The tragic incident happened in a remote village in Tanzania. Luhaiba Said was being breastfed by his mother Shayima in Mwamgongo, western Tanzania, when a gang of monkeys broke into their home and attacked the two.
Villagers tried frantically and unsuccessfully to reclaim the infant after one of the monkeys seized him and took him away from the mother. The child was severely injured in the head and neck during the rescue effort and ultimately died while receiving emergency medical treatment.
Tragic Death
According to the authorities, the attack happened all of a sudden. It is not known if the gang of monkeys was provoked. The boy, Luhaiba, was being breastfed by Shayima at that time. She tried to protect the child from the monkeys but one of the creatures came close to her and snatched away the baby.
Villagers were immediately alerted and they attempted to rescue Luhaiba by using force, according to regional commander James Manyama. However, the animal then became aggressive and Luhaiba was killed by his injuries, Tanzanian newspaper The Citizen reported.
Regional commander James Manyama said in quotes reported by the Daily Mail: "She screamed for help and villagers rushed to her house to assist her in getting her child – identified as Luhaiba Said - back from the troop of monkeys.
"When they tried to take him back by force he got injured on the head and the neck."
On High Alert
Police have issued an alert in and around the village. Authorities have urged citizens to stay on the lookout for dangerous animals. The commander added: "It should be noted that Mwamgongo village shares a border with Gombe National Park."
"Incidents of animals invading villages are not uncommon."
It's unclear what species of monkey the creature was or how large it was.
Monkey attacks are not uncommon in Africa and parts of Asia. Last year, in a bizarre incident, a group of irate monkeys allegedly slaughtered over 250 dogs to exact "vengeance" in a weird incident reported in Maharashtra, India. Majalgaon, in the state's Beed district, was the scene of the tragedy.
Moreover, in eastern Ethiopia, where there is a severe drought, starving monkeys are assaulting children. The "present intensity" of the drought in the country, according to the international charity Save the Children, is unprecedented.
Save the Children's area operations manager for eastern Ethiopia, Abdirizak Ahmed, said in a statement that the charity began getting reports of wild monkeys attacking villages three months ago, notably in Dawa and Shebelle.
Ethiopia is experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last 50 years. Monkeys appear in front of the bush and attack children and women who have anything in their hands, mistaking it for water.
"Many villages in the Somali region are reporting animals, especially monkeys, in their communities. Aside from domestic animals, different wildlife are also dying. Even the impalas, you will see them, they are dropping dead like goats," Ahmed said.
