Punjab government is planning to centre in Patiala to train rogue monkeys. Punjab has more than 65,000 wild monkeys and nearly a fourth of these monkeys live in and around Patiala.

Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned by Punjab Government for a 100-monkey 'resource-cum-rehabilitation centre'. In this centre, ultra-modern facilties will be provided to tame, train, rehabilitate and teach manners to rogue monkeys.

This initiative has been taken to deal problems of monkeys in Punjab. Due to decreasing forest area more and more monkeys are roaming in area inhabited by humans in search of food.

Some delinquent monkeys indulge in bad behaviour like terrorising children, snatching food from people and destroying property. Such monkeys will be identified and will be sent to school to learn good manners.

The proposed monkey rehabilitation centre will be set as an extension to a mini zoo near the city of Patiala. The centre will have veterinary doctors along with wildlife officials who will train monkeys and teach them to live amicably with other monkeys.

Minister for Forests and Wildlife Tikshan Sud said the case file has already been sent to the Central Zoo Authority.

He added: "We will build a state of the art centre that will have good facilities for monkeys and their treatment."