Newborn baby dies after being snatched by monkey

**mara thon** Thu 7 Oct - 17:33

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/38/20101007/twl-newborn-baby-dies-after-being-snatch-6ae0455.html

A newborn baby has been killed after being snatched by a monkey, which reportedly bit her and dropped her from a rooftop in Malaysia. The four-day-old baby girl is said to have been sleeping in the living room, when a macaque monkey, thought to be in search of food, entered and abducted the infant in the central Malaysian state of Negri Sembilan.

The family claims the baby was left alone for only a few minutes, leaving time for the monkey to take the baby.

According to Malaysia's Star and the New Straits Times newspaper, the wild monkey left serious bite and scratch wounds to the baby's face and neck before climbing to the roof of her house and dropping her from the single storey building.

The child's grandfather, A Valayutham, 70, who went to get a glass of water from the kitchen during her disappearance, told the newspaper: "We frantically searched all over the house and saw her body covered in blood lying outside the house."

Valayutham added that he had noticed a few monkeys in the area at that time.

Wildlife authorities caught the monkey responsible shortly after, and shot it dead.

State wildlife and national parks director Ishak Muhamad said: "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.

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

V Neru, the baby's father, said: "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."

Macaque monkeys are common in urban areas in Malaysia. They can be aggressive and bold enough to enter homes to search for food.