Gundlupet, May 18 -- 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 ...