Simians menace escalate in Shimla: Langur pushes woman towards moving car at Boileauganj

himachaleditor November 13, 2026 3 minutes read

Second incident in two days raises concerns over increasingly aggressive behaviour of monkeys and langurs on city roads

Shimla, November 13

The growing menace of monkeys and langurs in Shimla took a dangerous turn on Friday morning when a woman narrowly escaped being crushed under a moving car after a large langur allegedly pushed her at Boileauganj Chowk. The incident, captured on the dashboard camera of a vehicle following the car, has once again brought the issue of simian attacks and public safety in the hill town into focus.

According to the available footage, the woman was crossing the road when a large langur suddenly approached and pushed her towards a moving vehicle. She narrowly escaped coming under its wheels as the driver applied the brakes in time, averting what could have been a serious accident.

What makes the incident particularly disturbing is that the langur appeared to be behaving aggressively without any apparent provocation. The large-sized animal was seen crossing the road before suddenly approaching the woman and creating a potentially life-threatening situation.

Also Read Monkey creates havoc at Shimla DC Office, throws thousands of rupees from tree

The incident comes a day after a monkey created an unusual commotion at the Deputy Commissioner’s office premises in Shimla by snatching a packet containing nearly Rs 81,800 from a person’s pocket. The animal climbed a tall deodar tree and scattered currency notes from the packet, forcing government employees and members of the public to search the thick vegetation below to recover the money. Some Rs 500 notes were reportedly torn apart by the monkey, while approximately Rs 1,500 remained unaccounted for.

The two incidents within 48 hours have raised fresh concerns about the increasingly aggressive behaviour of monkeys and langurs in Shimla’s crowded public spaces. Their activities are no longer confined to snatching food, damaging property or intimidating pedestrians, but are increasingly creating dangerous situations for people moving along busy roads.

The possibility of seasonal factors, including falling temperatures, changing food availability and disturbances caused by firecrackers, contributing to heightened animal activity cannot be ruled out. However, there is no established evidence linking these factors directly to the recent incidents.

With monkeys and langurs frequently occupying roadside trees, buildings and public spaces, pedestrians, motorists and visitors are increasingly exposed to unpredictable encounters. The latest incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of existing measures to manage the simian population and prevent human-wildlife conflict in the state capital.

The back-to-back incidents have underscored the need for the Forest and Wildlife Departments to examine the changing behaviour of these animals and take preventive measures before an avoidable encounter results in serious injury or loss of life.