A monkey snatched a one-month-old baby from its mother and killed it during a tragic incident in Tanzania.
Shayima Said was breastfeeding her infant son Luhaiba in the western village of Mwamgongo near the Gombe National Park when a gang of monkeys broke into the family home, the Daily Mail reports.
One of the creatures grabbed the boy and took him away from his mother, with villagers trying unsuccessfully to snatch the baby back.
During the rescue effort, Shayima suffered injuries to his head and neck and later died as he received emergency medical treatment.
Regional commander James Manyama described how local villagers tried to overpower the monkey in an attempt to rescue Luhaiba from their grasp.
However, the animal then became aggressive and Luhaiba was killed by his injuries, Tanzanian newspaper The Citizen reported.
Mr Manyama said in quotes reported by the Daily Mail: “She screamed for help and villagers rushed to her house to assist her in getting her child – identified as Luhaiba Said - back from the troop of monkeys.
“When they tried to take him back by force he got injured on the head and the neck.”
Police have warned locals to be alert around the animals, which can be dangerous, given the village's proximity to a national park.
The commander added: “It should be noted that Mwamgongo village shares a border with Gombe National Park.
“Incidents of animals invading villages are not uncommon.”
It's not known what species of monkey the animal was, nor exactly how big it was.
The Said family has not yet been pictured or released a statement.
