There has been a marked increase in the population of monkeys across the district in the last couple of years and Forest Department officials have been finding it difficult to check the problem.
Pagalavadi on Tiruchi-Thuraiyur highway is one of the villages where a troop of monkeys is seen at any given time. With close proximity to Puliyancholai and Pachamalai, it is one of the villages where the population of monkeys has been on the rise. Villagers said that the high school students are often scared away by the monkeys, particularly during the lunch break.
Officials confess that it has been a challenge to manage the problem. They urged the people not to give any eatables like banana, fruits or biscuits. The problem caused by monkeys on the Tiruchi – Manapparai has come to an end in the wake of felling of trees for the four-lane project. “The problem has got shifted to the other parts of the district,” a source said.
Although officials caught monkeys and let them off in the reserve forest areas such as M.R. Palayam or Pachamalai, the monkeys returned. Only strict reluctance to provide eatables to monkeys will bring about a permanent solution to the problem. But, people are not inclined to do so for various reasons. Car drivers said that monkeys caused a panic among them by criss-crossing the highway. One of the drivers, Satish, said that drivers would take maximum effort to avoid hitting a monkey for various reasons. “It is not without any risk, as the monkeys appear all of a sudden,” he said.
As per the norms of the Forest Department, no relief can be given to a person suffering monkey bite. “Although relief is given to other animals, no relief is available for monkey bite. Obviously, not many monkey catchers volunteer to extend their cooperation.”
Agriculture Department officials said that the problem caused by monkeys coincided with the near-harvest period of the crops. Besides, coconut farmers are the worst hit, as the monkeys cause extensive loss to them. Farmers complained about the problem caused by the monkeys. “About 150 monkeys had been trapped and let into the reserve forest areas in various parts of the district in the last two years only to find them to return to fields.”
