Kerala Plans Sterilisation Drive to Curb Bonnet Macaque Menace
Thiruvananthapuram:
In a bid to tackle the growing conflict between humans and bonnet macaques, the
Kerala Forest Department is gearing up to launch a mass sterilisation programme
aimed at controlling the population of the primate species that’s becoming a
serious threat to farmers near forest areas.
Bonnet
macaques, a species native to South India, have increasingly been raiding farms
and damaging crops—ranging from coconuts to various other produce—leading to
mounting complaints from communities living along the forest fringes. The
Forest Department is now preparing to seek permission from the Union Ministry
of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to carry out the sterilisation
programme, given that the species is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife
Protection Act.
Unlike
wild pigs, which are currently being culled in the state as part of population
control efforts, the bonnet macaques will not be harmed. Instead, sterilised
monkeys will be released back into their native territories after health checks
and a period of observation.
Chief
Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan said the sterilisation initiative is part of
a broader project titled “Mission Bonnet Macaque,” which includes a 10-point
action plan designed to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. “Sterilisation is
just one component. We are also looking at waste management in eco-tourism
zones, where these monkeys often scavenge for leftover food,” he added.
The
proposal comes at a time when the bonnet macaque is facing a decline in numbers
in some parts of the country. The International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) has already listed the species as "vulnerable,"
prompting the need for careful and ethical population control measures.
If
approved, Kerala will be among the first states to implement such a programme
for monkeys, focusing on coexistence rather than culling.
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