Gundlupet: A video of a monkey playing pranks at Bandipur forest, after being  partially trapped in a plastic cover, went viral recently, renewing serious debate on unabated plastic menace involving tourists in the forest, at the cost of the wildlife.

A family of tourists from Kerala, who stopped by the public toilet built by the Forest Department near Melukamanahalli check-post (old campus), were carrying fruits in a plastic carry bag. A group of monkeys, which are acclimatised to the tourists feeding them, rushed towards the tourists and one of the monkeys snatched the cover. In its hurry to eat the fruits, the animal somehow got itself entangled in the plastic carry bag. A Forest personnel, who noticed the incident, shot the same on his cell phone camera and posted on a social networking site, with the noble intention of creating awareness among the tourists.

S. Prabhakaran, Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, told Star of Mysore, the monkey, however, succeeded in removing the plastic carry bag. The video recorded and uploaded by the patrolling  staff, was shared by others, which incidentally caught the attention of many.

The Forest Department, for the convenience of tourists who pass via Bandipur, has built the public toilets near Melukamanahalli, considered as the entrance to Bandipur and Chikkahalli check-post, bordering Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, he added.