(Yahoo) – A troop of monkeys died from suspected heatstroke in India as scorching temperatures that have lasted more than a week take a mounting toll on humans and animals, media reports said Saturday. Vast swathes of the country have been sweltering in temperatures that have risen to over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Rajasthan state. The monkeys died in Joshi Baba forest range in Madhya Pradesh state where the thermometer reached 46 Celsius (114 Fahrenheit).
District forest officer P. N. Mishra said the primates were believed to have fought with a rival troop over access to a water source. “This is rare and strange as herbivores don’t indulge in such conflicts,” Mishra told NDTV network. “We’re probing all possibilities, including the possibility of conflict between groups of monkeys for water… which led to the death of 15 monkeys from a 30-35-strong group of monkeys living in the caves,” Mishra was quoted as saying. READ MORE
