In the incident, Nur Syahadatul Fatehah Mohd Shahbudin was playing with her cousin and several friends about 5pm when she was bitten by the macaque until her calf bone could be seen.

Kedah Wildlife and National Parks Department Director Mohamad Hafid Rohani said the three-year-old monkey, of the Macaca nemestrina species, was shot with the assistance of the villagers of Kampung Paya Mengkuang, Pendang.

“The monkey was believed to be a pet of one of the nearby local residents as it had a neck collar affixed to a chain.

“We are still investigating the identity of the owner,” he said in a statement today.

He added that the act of shooting dead the monkey was done under Section 55(1) and Section 55(3) of the Wildlife Conservation Act (Act 716), under which the public can take their own actions by capturing or shooting dead an animal, but they must report their actions to the department.

Those who fail to do so will be penalised.

– BERNAMA