Monkeys steal COVID-19 blood samples from lab in India

June 3, 2020June 3, 2020 The Big Kahuna

IndiaImages/iStock(UTTAR PRADESH, India) — Authorities in India say a troop of monkeys went bananas, attacking a medical official and stealing blood samples belonging to patients who had tested positive for COVID-19.

The incident occurred on the Meerut Medical College campus in the Northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, where the medics had collected samples from three people suspected of being infected by the COVID-19 virus, according to India.com. An eyewitness video shows one of the monkeys chewing the sample collection kits on top of a tree. Parts of those kits were later seen lying strewn on the ground, to the concern of local officials.

SkyNews reports that since lockdown measures imposed two months ago, monkeys have been congregating in places that are normally crowded with humans. However, some suspect the monkeys are struggling because the human food they normally consume has been severely reduced.