Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 29

Acceding to the request of the Himachal government, the Centre has declared monkeys as vermin for a period of six months within Shimla municipal limits.

A communication from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was received in this regard today. This will pave the way for scientific culling of monkeys modalities for which will be worked out as the menace created by the simians has made life difficult for the residents. It was last year in September that the state government had moved the case before Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for declaring monkeys vermin within Shimla MC limits.

The results of the latest monkey census undertaken in July 2015 had indicated that there are about 2,452 monkeys within the municipal limits, which is higher than their number reflected in the last census undertaken in 2013. The eight forest beats of Jakhu, Summer Hill, Glen, Kaithu, Khalini, Fagli, Tuti Kandi and Bharari had been identified as endemic area. A total of 296 persons, including many children, have become victims of monkey bites during the last three years and a sum of Rs 19.74 lakh has been disbursed as relief on account of the monkey bites.

However, the plea of Himachal government to declare monkeys as vermin in all the hot spots identified in the state has not been accepted as of now. “It was today that we received a letter from the Centre, informing that Rhesus Macque (Macaca Mulatta) had been declared vermin within Shimla MC limits under Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 ,” confirmed P.L. Chauhan, Chief Conservator Forest (South), Shimla.

Following declaration of monkeys as vermin, the that Rhesus Macque monkeys listed as under Schedule-II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 will now be included in Schedule V of the Act for a period of six months. The state government had moved its case before the Centre, citing the massive damage to crop and attacks on people by the increasing population of monkeys in the state.

The earlier request of the Forest Department to the Centre was turned down as the required information regarding the hot spots having high concentration of monkeys had not been specified. Now with the process of population estimation of the monkeys in the state complete and the endemic areas having abnormally high concentration of the simians being specified, the relief for the state capital has come through.

Despite the Wild Life wing running nine sterilization centres in the state and sterilizing almost 1.04 lakh monkeys, there has been no reduction in the number of attacks by monkeys. In fact, it has become difficult for school children and women here to move around alone, as they are most vulnerable to monkey attacks.