The State government has decided to develop a monkey park on 100 acres in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district. This will be the first such park in the State.
The park will be set up at Nagavalli forest in Hosanagara taluk and monkeys that enter farms and damage crops will be relocated here. Monkeys raiding crops is rampant in Hosanagara,Thirthahalli and Sagar taluks.
Wildlife activists, who have been opposing the proposal, instead suggest reclaiming about 60,000 hectares of land from the defunct Mysore Paper Mills (MPM) and planting fruit-bearing trees there.
The decision on setting up the park was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa after holding consultations with legislators, officials of the Forest Department, and MP B.Y. Raghavendra.
Mr. Yediyurappa also told Forest Department officials to visit Himachal Pradesh, Assam and New Delhi to study the setting up of a monkey park. The Deputy Commissioner of the district has been directed to acquire land for the park.
Regarding compensation for crops damaged, the Chief Minister said there was no provision for payment of compensation for crops damaged by monkeys. BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra, who led the team of of legislators, held discussions on wildlife damage to crops in the district, sources said.
