Govt ready to resume discussion on exporting Toque monkeys: Minister

Colombo, December 11 (Daily Mirror)- The government is ready to take up the discussion again on exporting Toque Macaque monkeys to China as one solution to the monkey menace, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Lal Kantha said today.

He told reporters in Kandy that the government is ready to find solutions to the destructions caused by wild animals to the cultivations in all aspects.

"We hope to find solutions to this issue in all aspects. There is no single solution to this issue. We need to reach the final solution after incorporating many solutions. We need to do this after so many actions. We can take up the discussion again on exporting toque moneys to China," he said responding to a question, whether the government is ready to resume discussions on the matter.

The Minister said everyone propose long term solutions to the issue and that the government is trying to find short term solutions as farmers have already faced serious crisis.

It was reported that there was a plan to export 100,000 monkeys to China and animal rights organisations and animal rights activists had filed a petition challenging the proposed capture and export of 100,000 Toque Macaque monkeys to China.

The Court of Appeal then decided to close the hearing of the petition over the move as the government had given an undertaken not to export Toque Macaque monkeys to China.