**BREAKING: MISCHIEVOUS MONKEY WREAKS HAVOC ON SRI LANKA’S POWER GRID, LEAVING 20 MILLION PEOPLE IN DARKNESS**
Colombo, Sri Lanka – In a bizarre incident that has left authorities scratching their heads, a rogue monkey has been identified as the culprit behind a nationwide power outage that plunged the entire island nation into darkness.
According to officials, the marauding monkey, identified as a 3-year-old male macaque named “Mango,” wandered into a high-voltage transmission substation in the town of Galle, where it proceeded to swing from a transformer, causing a chain reaction of sparks, explosions, and ultimately, a massive power failure.
“It was like something out of a cartoon,” said a stunned engineer at the substation. “The monkey just walked in, started playing with the equipment, and the next thing we knew, the whole country was in the dark.”
The power outage, which lasted for several hours, affected all 20 million residents of Sri Lanka, causing widespread disruptions to daily life, including traffic jams, communication breakdowns, and a reported surge in demand for candles and flashlights.
“We are shocked and amused by the incident,” said a spokesperson for the Ceylon Electricity Board. “We are reviewing our security protocols to ensure that no future monkey business will disrupt the nation’s power supply.”
Mango, the mischievous monkey, has been taken into custody and is currently being held at a local wildlife sanctuary, where he is being treated for minor injuries sustained during the incident.
When asked about his motives, Mango’s lawyer released a statement saying, “My client was simply seeking a little excitement and a chance to play with some shiny objects. He had no idea his actions would have such far-reaching consequences.”
The incident has sparked a national conversation about the need for greater monkey-proofing of critical infrastructure and the importance of providing adequate stimulation for the island’s simian population.
In the meantime, Sri Lankans are advised to remain calm and to report any further monkey sightings to the authorities immediately. As one resident quipped, “Well, at least we can say we had a ‘shocking’ experience!”
