The forest department has initiated a probe into the reported deaths of 18 to 19 monkeys in a village in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district and recovered four rotten carcasses, a senior official said.

However, according to a panchayat representative, at least 17 monkeys were shot dead by two labourers hired by some villagers to chase away a pack of the simians, and accused the forest department of trying to cover up the incident, PTI reported.