Mysuru: A group of monkeys at the View Point on Nandi Road atop Chamundi Hill has tried to attack tourists yesterday morning creating panic and fear among the tourists.

Yesterday at about 8 am, a group of about 30 monkeys was sitting on the railings of the View Point on Nandi Statue road and when a couple of morning walkers and tourists went near the View Point to look at the city below, the monkeys tried to attack them creating a sense of fear among the tourists. This resulted in tourists returning back without viewing the city from the View Point till about 10 am when the monkeys moved to a different location.

Meanwhile, Forest Department staff said that some people have made it a habit to feed the monkeys which has resulted in the monkeys trying to snatch bags, food covers etc. and added that as Chamundi Hill is a forest, there is no provision in the law to drive away monkeys from there.

They further said that the tourists should not behave in such a way that the monkeys get agitated and added that if one person creates fear among the monkeys, they look at others in the same way and try to attack the people out of fear.

The Forest staff said that they had not received any complaint about the incident and added that the monkeys have made it a habit to sit on the railings in the morning and bask in the sun. They added that the monkeys may have screeched out of fear when the tourists went near them.