Baby in Malaysia snatched by monkey

 

A baby in Malaysia has died after being snatched from home by a monkey which bit her - then dropped her from a roof.

The four-day-old girl was sleeping in the living room of her home in the central Malaysian state of Negri Sembilan when a macaque monkey entered.

The baby had been briefly left alone. Wildlife officials said the monkey had probably been searching for food.

The officials said it was the first case of an attack by wild monkeys on a human in the state.

Correspondents say the Malaysian authorities are struggling to control a booming population of macaques in urban areas, as the animals' natural habitat shrinks because of deforestation.

Alarmed

The mother, 26-year-old V Revathy, had left the baby to go to the bathroom and the baby's grandfather had gone to get a glass of water.

"We frantically searched all over the house and saw her body covered in blood lying outside the house," the child's grandfather A Valayutham told the Star newspaper.

The baby had serious bite and scratch marks.

Wildlife and national parks director Ishak Muhamad said his staff had later caught and shot a monkey believed to have been responsible for the attack.

"We suspect the macaque was rummaging for food inside the house. It could have taken the baby to the roof thinking the newborn was food," he told the newspaper.

"The baby died when she fell to the ground. The monkey had apparently released the newborn, probably because it was alarmed by the parents' shouts," Mr Ishak said.

The area where the family lives has many trees where macaque monkeys have made their homes.

"She was our bundle of joy and we were looking forward to spending many happy years with her... I just cannot believe she's gone," said V Neru, the baby's father.