Nima Wangdi

The Supreme Court (SC) in Thimphu got an unusual visitor on Friday in the form of a monkey. The deviant celebrity was first seen posing for the cameras under the rafters of the Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) at around 11am.

By evening, it was sprightly and curiously at home with the boisterous crowd. Admirers got some more photos of the hairy little star displaying his acrobatic feats at the High Court’s administration block.

Certainly the purpose of the celeb’s visit was not to observe court proceedings. Then, it suddenly disappeared. Now tired and averse to its mad fan following and mean media attention, many believe the handsome scoundrel from the storied wild far, far away is still there, hiding somewhere.

Others think he could have sneaked out in the cover of night, quietly.

Court official said the nimble fellow would swing from the windows.

“When I saw him, it was late afternoon and the office was about to close,” one said.

The next day, seeing the puzzled-looking star bouncing around still, he notified a team of specially trained officials for help. They came, in green outfits, with a loaded tranquiliser gun. One officer aimed a shot at him, but it missed by way too much.

Seconds later, something heavy fell from high above. Somebody saw dust flying. One of the rescue officials was lying on the floor, unconscious.

Some say the wild celebrity took refuge under the court’s roof when dogs had him running down from Dechenphodrang.

An official who has dealt with many such cases before said that the incident was pretty common, especially in the urban parts of the country. Some years ago, a similar incident occurred in Taba, Thimphu.

The grey langur, according to Sonam Wangdi, chief forest officer with the Nature Conservation Division, is not an endangered species.

Some believe a langur on the roof brings bad luck. Others say it is a good omen.

Good or bad, the old world visitor seems to have returned to his native home.