Study to identify monkey hotspots in state

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 21

The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural Habitat (SACON) will undertake a study to assess the new hotspots, population dynamics and feeding habits of monkeys so that a strategy can be devised to tackle the menace.

Even as permission from the Centre for declaration of monkeys as vermin in 91 tehsils across the state is still awaited, SACON has been asked to provide these details after undertaking a detailed study. It was in November 2019 that the Wildlife Department had urged the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to extend the time period of the order declaring monkeys vermin in 91 tehsils as the earlier permission was getting over on February 4, 2020.

“We have asked SACON to undertake a study, especially with regard to the fresh hot spots of monkeys and their behavioural changes in the recent past so that we can formulate the strategy accordingly to tackle the monkey menace,” revealed Dr Savita, Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife) and State Wildlife Warden.

She added that the study would provide valuable inputs like troupe structure, which in turn will help in strategizing the sterilization programme. So far more than 1.60 lakh monkeys have been sterilized at the eight centre being run by the Forest Department.

The Wildlife Department has also sought extension of a similar order declaring monkeys vermin within Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) area even as the earlier permission will expire in July 2020. Reminders have been sent by the department in December January and earlier this month to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

In the 2015 population estimation of monkeys, a total of 348 hotpots having high concentration of monkeys were identified. It was on the basis of this figure that Himachal sought culling permission from the Centre. The survey also indicated that some of the areas like Nurpur, Renukaji, Rohru, Dalhousie, Bilaspur, Dharamsala and Pangi had registered an increase in the number of simians, which is a worrisome fact. The highest population of monkeys within the Shimla Municipal Corporation was found in the forest beats of Jakhu, Summer Hill, Glen, Kaithu, Khalini, Fagli, Tuti Kandi and Bharari.

The monkey population estimation was undertaken in 83 ranges spread over 27,276 sq kms in June 2015. The monkey figure in 2004, almost a decade back, stood at 3,17,512, while in the 2013 survey the number of simians was put at 2, 26, 086. The last survey in 2015 indicated a figure of 2,07, 614, indicating a decline of almost 18,500.

Though the Wildlife Department does not have the exact data of the number of monkeys killed by people where they were damaging crops there are reports from all over the state that people have eliminated them.