700 simians caught since ’14

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19

No monkey business this! More than 700 monkeys were captured from Chandigarh and released in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary by the UT Forest and Wildlife Department since 2014. 

Information to this effect was furnished before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by way of a status report in an ongoing case pertaining to monkey menace in the city.

“To further reduce entering of monkeys in the city areas, the Forest and Wildlife Department is planning to plant more fruit bearing species in the available patches in the forest areas so that food is readily available in the forest for monkeys and they do not come scavenging for food to the city areas,” the Bench was told.

The status report filed by UT Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Debendra Dalai added that the wildlife wing of the department remained actively engaged and was attending to specific complaints received by it swiftly on 24X7 basis through a dedicated landline number, 0172-2700217.

Dalai added that the number had been given adequate publicity while renewed awareness drives were being undertaken during the past few months. As part of the awareness drives, the department was circulating pamphlets to the general public through newspapers. Besides, a wildlife squad team was manually distributing the pamphlets and explaining the contents to the general public at different locations in Chandigarh, including Mani Majra.

The pamphlets were aimed at educating people regarding monkeys and their behaviour, and how to deal with them. Patrolling in the affected areas, too, had been intensified by the department. 

During the course of hearing, the department had earlier made clear its intent to ensure residents who feed simian unburden their wallets. The department had, in fact, conveyed to the High Court its decision to request the local MC to amend its bylaws to make monkey feeding an offence punishable by fine on the pattern of the Shimla Municipal Corporation.