Chennai

The Madras High Court has allowed Coimbatore-based veterinarian V. Valliappan to meet an infant monkey he cared for over ten months after rescuing it from a stray dog attack. The court issued this permission as part of an interim order following a writ petition filed by Valliappan. Justice C.V. Karthikeyan, presiding over the case, instructed Valliappan to visit the Arihant Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, Chennai, on Saturday and report on his interaction with the monkey.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has been directed to observe the meeting and submit a report by November 14. A decision on Valliappan’s request for interim custody of the monkey will be made after reviewing the reports. The judge emphasized the sensitive nature of human-animal relationships and expressed interest in seeing if the monkey still recognized Valliappan, given that two weeks had passed since their separation.

Valliappan, who had been treating the monkey since December 2023 after it suffered injuries from a dog attack, had sought custody on October 28, arguing that the monkey still needed care. He feared the animal might fall ill again without his supervision. Valliappan is part of Prani Mithran, an animal welfare group in Tamil Nadu.