Monkey invites himself to lunch at Sandhurst Road

For the last one week, a monkey who loves barfi, ladies' perfume and superhero toys has been inviting himself into homes of terrified residents in Umerkhadi at Sandhurst Road

Monkey invites himself to lunch at Sandhurst Road

For the last one week, a monkey who loves barfi, ladies' perfume and superhero toys has been inviting himself into homes of terrified residents in Umerkhadi at Sandhurst Road

On Friday afternoon, Sandhurst Road resident Shamim Pereira had a monkey over for lunch. The homemaker was visiting a neighbour for a chat after she had wrapped up cooking for the day. On returning, Pereira walked into her kitchen to find a monkey sitting at her window. The monkey had entered her kitchen through an open window close by, and was rummaging through vessels in search for food.

"I couldn't move for a few seconds. He was opening jars and vessels, throwing them around. Perhaps he was hungry and looking for food. I tried shooing him away but I backed off when he growled at me," says Pereira, a resident of Mistry Building at Umerkhadi in Sandhurst Road.

The frightened lady called out to her neighbour, Raessa Khan, who thought Pereira was pulling a fast one on her. When Pereira dragged her into the kitchen, the monkey hurled a couple of vessels at the petrified ladies. It's only when Khan's husband arrived with a stick, that the monkey fled the scene.

Fareeda Soni, another resident of Mistry Building, spotted the monkey on her window on Thursday afternoon, but luckily she managed to shoo it away before it could gain entry.

Rosetta Pereira, Shamim Pereira's sister said, "This area was never known for a monkey menace. When Rosetta mentioned it, I was a little surprised. But locals residents around the area tell me the monkey has been frequenting homes since last Thursday."

The monkey, we hear, has been visiting homes and walking away with children's toys, purses and perfume bottles. Samran Shaikh, a resident of a neighbouring building said, "My son Imran has been in a sullen mood all week since his superhero toys have gone missing. On Friday afternoon, I spotted the monkey opening my son's toy box. I have now decided to keep all windows shut."

For resident Heena Aziz, the hours she toiled over making barfi for her children proved to be vain because the monkey wiped off the entire plate, and crashed the cutlery to the floor before leaving. "My children call it a 'gorilla'!" says Aziz. A coconut seller from the area has seen the monkey sprint over building gates and into balconies.