Monkeys declared vermin in Himachal, third time since 2016

For a third time in three years, the Union environment ministry has declared Rhesus Macaque monkeys as 'vermin' in Himachal Pradesh. This will allow the state forest department to cull them for preventing crop depredation, conflict with humans and loss of property. The fresh notification was issued in the last week of February after the Himachal forest department sent a fresh request on December 20 to renew the vermin tag.

As per the notification, Rhesus Macaques will be treated as vermin in all 11 districts of states. The Centre had approved Himachal's request for the first time in May 2016. A similar notification was also issued in 2016 to declare Nilgai and wild boars as vermin in their respective states.

Senior state forest officials said even as the sterilization programme was going well, grievances over crop depredation by monkeys have not reduced and the problem still persists. The problem, officials said, was acute in rural areas of the state. "The effect of sterilization is showing effects in terms of the population control but it will truly show impact in the long run.

Wherever citizens report on crop depredations, a divisional forest officer can permit culling of monkeys and foresters have to be present," said Savita, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife), Himachal Pradesh.

The hill state has been running a sterilization programme since 2006-07. Since then, a 1.4 lakh monkeys have been sterilized in the state, as per publicly available data of the Himachal Pradesh forest department. Last year, 15,616 monkeys were sterilized.

The monkeys are usually first trapped and are then administered shots to sterilize them. There are eight monkey sterilization centres across the state at - Tutikandi (Shimla), Sastar (Hamirpur), Gopalpur (Kangra), Boul (Una), Paontasahib (Sirmour), Sarol (Chamba), Salappar (Mandi), Ispur (Una).

Animal activist Gauri Maulekhi criticized the Centre's move. "The Centre's stance on allowing sterilization as well culling is contradictory, especially when it has sanctioned a pilot to test immunology contraception of monkeys and other wildlife."

"Past inspections of the sterilization centres also show that monkeys are not kept in conducive conditions and environment and transporting them after capture is detrimental in avoiding conflict as it breaks the social structure of the troops," Maulekhi said.

Sterilized

Himachal has been running a sterilization programme since 2006-07. Since then, 1.4 lakh monkeys have been sterilized in the hill state. Last year, 15,616 monkeys were sterilized