No respite from monkey menace in Patiala, rehabilitation project in limbo

Patiala, December 21

Growing population of monkeys in the city and its outskirts has been troubling residents and passers-by for quite some time now. They are said to be causing a threat to the humans in the city.

In past few years, many people have been bitten, chased and scratched by the simians.

Talking to The Tribune, residents said there was nothing that could be done to avoid the menace, as sometimes monkeys turned violent and could attack them. “There have been times that our clothes have been torn and neighbours attacked by these beasts and there is no one to solve this mess,” claimed Gurpreet Singh, a farmer near Moti Bagh Bir. He added that they cannot even poison the monkeys as his fellow villagers consider them sacred.

Sources from Forest and Wildlife Department said following the complaints about the increasing monkey menace, the state government had proposed a rescue centre in Patiala in 2009, which was to be opened at the Moti Bagh Bir to tame and rehabilitate monkeys that create menace. However, the proposed centre is yet to be set up.

Confirming that the monkey population in the district was increasing rapidly, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Neeraj K Gupta said he has deputed his staff at various locations to spread awareness among people to avoid feeding monkeys on roads.

“Every week there is a day fixed to feed monkeys in the bir area. Sometimes, a few monkeys come near human habitats and create issues. On receiving a complaint, we rescue these monkeys and release them in the wild,” he said.

An insider from the department said, “We are planning to involve animal activists as well as religious bodies, as monkeys are religiously important to some, to tackle the situation. Our proposal to open a rescue centre has been hanging and we are sure that once it is operational, the problem would be solved.”