Some 50,000 monkeys residing in villages and urban areas causing issues - report

Colombo, December 13 (Daily Mirror) - The most recent statistics indicate that out of the estimated 300,000 monkeys in the country, around 50,000 monkeys are causing issues by residing in villages and urban areas.

Out of 300,000 monkeys 250,000 are found in forests and only 15 percent of monkeys survive in forests because of predation and limited food availability, said Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara of the Veterinarians for Humane Management of Animal Population Association.

However, monkeys living in villages and urban areas face no predators and have access to an abundance of waste food. As a result, the survival rate of monkeys in towns and villages has increased to 30 percent," he said adding that "there is a natural control of monkey populations in forests due to the presence of predators.”

Human activities have caused an increase in certain animal populations. Therefore, a dedicated institution should be established to manage these populations scientifically, said Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara.

He told the Daily Mirror that exporting animals to other countries or allowing them to be killed will not resolve the issue. Many government organizations have proposed various solutions, but these measures have not been based on scientific approaches.

"People have encroached on animal habitats. As a result, animals that used to live in those habitats have either moved to human-populated areas or experienced changes in their populations, such as an increase or decrease in certain species. There should be a balance in the food chain. If any element in the food chain is lost, it can lead to an imbalance, causing the overpopulation of other species," he explained.

Dr. Nanayakkara emphasized the need to establish a scientific institution to address these issues humanely. "We should adopt humane methods to control animal populations by studying measures taken by other countries and using the latest technologies," he said.

He pointed out India as an example. "India has a large population of toque macaques. However, the Indian government does not resort to killing them to control their numbers. Instead, they use various non-lethal methods. For instance, they employ immediate measures to prevent crop damage, such as using drums and high-frequency sounds to scare the monkeys away. They also plant specific trees that deter animals and raise black monkeys to keep toque macaques at bay," he explained.

"We should learn from such examples and seek advice from other countries. Killing animals should only be a last resort after all scientific and humane measures have been exhausted. Even then, it should be done scientifically to avoid disrupting the food chain," he added.

Dr. Nanayakkara also noted that Sri Lanka's natural beauty, especially its wildlife, attracts foreign tourists. "If we destroy this aspect of our country, it will have a direct impact on foreign income," he warned.

Meanwhile, a sterilization programme was launched as a pilot project in Matale district to control the Toque Macaque population.

The project, costing Rs. 4.5 million, is planned to expand to other areas. Toque Macaques captured using traps will be safely transported to the Giritale Animal Conservation Unit, where they will be sterilized. Afterward, the monkeys will be released back to their original locations.