Monkey blamed for causing nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka

• A monkey triggered a nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka on Sunday, affecting millions as temperatures rose above 86°F. The animal is said to have come into contact with a grid transformer, causing a disruption in the power system.
• Many households remained without power for hours, as experts have long warned that Sri Lanka’s older energy infrastructure is vulnerable to such incidents.
• Sri Lanka is struggling with an overpopulation of three million toque macaque monkeys, leading the government to previously consider exporting 100,000 to China to manage their numbers.

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A nationwide power outage struck Sri Lanka over the weekend, with the country’s government attributing the incident to a monkey. The blackout began around midday on Sunday and affected millions as temperatures rose above 86°F.

How did a monkey cause a power outage in Sri Lanka?

According to Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, the incident occurred when “a monkey came into contact with a grid transformer, causing an imbalance in the power system.”

Engineers worked to restore electricity, prioritizing essential services such as hospitals and water purification facilities.

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While some areas regained power within hours, many households remained without electricity into the night.

What led up to this incident?

Experts have long warned that Sri Lanka’s aging energy infrastructure is vulnerable to disruptions like this.

The country also faces an overpopulation of monkeys, with an estimated three million toque macaques. These primates have been known to cause property damage and raid crops, leading the government in 2023 to consider exporting 100,000 of them to China.

What happens next?

The Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka’s largest electricity company, apologized for the outage. No information has been provided about the condition of the monkey.