Kendrapara : A middle aged man died today after being attacked by a monkey near a traffic junction on Cuttack-Chandbali highway, about 8 km from here.
Madhusudan Swain (50), an employee of a government industrial training institute here was on his way to his office on a motorcycle when the primate leaped from a roadside tree and attacked him.
Swain lost balance and fell near Jamadhar traffic junction seriously injuring his head. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Kendrapara headquarters hospital, police said.
Forest personnel are in search of the monkey, a forest official said.
Frequent man-animal conflict in the area had led to a rasta roko on the road several days ago by locals demanding that monkeys be driven away.
Forest personnel captured three rogue monkeys who had virtually laid seige at Khamalo village under Derabish block for the past one week affecting normal life in the locality and adjoining areas.
The male monkeys had gone on rampage injuring more than 20 local residents, including children. The menace had led to zero attendance in the local primary school and ICDS Anganwadi centre.
The monkeys were captured and later released in the wild near Mahavinayak hillock in Jajpur district. Care was taken to ensure that no harm was done to the primates, Kendrapara Forest Range Officer Adhir Behera said.