Sterilisation: 700 monkeys dead

The state government’s move to sterilise monkeys in Kangra district has claimed the lives of about 700 monkeys. The poor animals are losing their lives due to poor upkeep and unprofessional handling in captivity. 

The high mortality rate of monkeys at the Gopalpur sterilisation centre of the Wildlife Department has evoked criticism from animal activists. The activists alleged that the Wildlife Department was violating provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act by meting out such a treatment to monkeys being brought here for sterilisation.

Sources in Gopalpur told The Tribune that wildlife officials were earlier burying dead monkeys at the sterilisation centre. However, after religious advice, they were now cremating them.

Villagers said on condition of anonymity that they had repeatedly sought the shifting of the centre from the area. They had complained against the brutal treatment being meted out to monkeys brought to the sterilisation centre.

A visit to the centre revealed that many monkeys had been locked in small cages. In some cages, monkeys were lying dead. Stains of blood could be seen in other cages due to sterilization procedures.

Satish Gupta, DFO, Wildlife, who is the in charge of the sterilisation centre, admitted to the death of monkeys. He, however, claimed that most of the deaths of monkeys were being caused due to mishandling by people who were delivering them to the Forest Department.

The government had announced a reward of Rs 500 for anyone who caught and brought a monkey to the Wildlife Department. Due to this, many people were catching monkeys. After catching monkeys, they kept them unfed for many days. Monkeys were already in a poor state when they were handed over to the Wildlife Department. This caused mortality at the sterilisation centre, he said.

Vijay Bharti, the veterinarian who carries out sterilisation operations at Gopalpur, admitted that there was a mortality rate of about 6 per cent in monkeys being brought to the centre. He, however, said the mortality rate due to sterilisation was just about 1 per cent. Even in that 1 per cent, other conditions in which monkeys were brought to the centre were responsible for the deaths.

He claimed that the centre had the facility to house just 170 monkeys. However, generally at any given point of time there were about 400 monkeys at the centre. Some monkeys might have also died due to overcrowding and trauma in cages. The doctor claimed that most deaths at the centre were pre-operative rather than post-operative.

The sources said sterilisation of monkeys was being carried out in an unscientific manner. According to statistics, there are about 35,000 monkeys in Kangra district. The centre at Gopalpur alone claims to have carried out the sterilisation of 11,000 monkeys.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120220/himachal.htm#1 

Bounty to sterilise Himachal Pradesh monkeys criticised

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-15915075

Animal rights activists have criticised a bounty of 500 rupees ($9.60) a head put on the capture of monkeys in India's Himachal Pradesh state. They say allowing members of the public to capture monkeys and hand them over for sterilisation could be "traumatic".

Officials hope to cut monkey numbers by capturing and sterilising 200,000 in the next seven months. The state says monkeys are a menace, destroying crops and attacking tourists and locals in holiday destinations.

But Rajeshwar Negi, a prominent animal rights activist, told the BBC the bounty plan was "not a good idea" and that capturing monkeys should be left to "experts who are far better equipped".

He said: "Monkeys will be captured in a crude manner. This can be very traumatic for the animals... many can get hurt in the process."

Hanuman's state

The state's chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, along with top officials, met recently and came up with the sterilisation plan.

Twenty-five sterilisation centres have been set a target of treating 200,000 monkeys by June

A total of 25 sterilisation centres have been set a target of treating 200,000 monkeys by June next year and then returning them to the wild.

The capturing will not be restricted to forest guards. Anyone can join in, handing over captured monkeys to the authorities to pocket the bounty.

According to the latest count there are some 300,000 monkeys, mainly the red-bottomed, and the larger but more docile black-faced langurs.

The state capital, Shimla, has been a haven for monkeys ever since the town was the summer capital of the British Raj and even inspired the young Rudyard Kipling to write about his "Bandar-log" monkeys in The Jungle Book.

The state's Communist party leader Kuldeep Tanwar told the BBC: "Farmers in many parts of the state have been forced to abandon farming due to the rising incidents of monkeys destroying crops."

Farmers were issued licences to kill monkeys a couple of years ago but animal rights activists and right-wing groups objected strongly, as Shimla is considered the abode of Hanuman, the monkey god.

A year ago a huge statue of Hanuman was unveiled at the highest point of Shimla.

To catch monkeys, Himachal dangles Rs.500 bait

http://zeenews.india.com/news/himachal-pradesh/to-catch-monkeys-himachal-dangles-rs-500-bait_739628.html

Shimla: Unable to check its marauding monkeys, Himachal Pradesh has offered Rs.500 each to youths who can catch the animals. The wildlife wing's target is to sterilise 200,000 monkeys in the next eight months for which it requires simian trappers, an official said.

"Any person or group that catches a monkey from any town or village in the state and hands it over to the forest authorities is entitled to get a cash incentive of Rs.500. The trappers can leash as many monkeys as they can," Chief Wildlife Warden AK Gulati told agency.

The wildlife wing would provide cages to the trappers for housing the monkeys, he said. Even forest guards are entitled to earn the incentives, Gulati added. 

As per government estimates, it has to shell out Rs.10 crore for catching 200,000 monkeys. The state cabinet last month gave a nod to containing the monkey menace more effectively by setting up 25 new sterilisation centres across the state. These will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

After vasectomy, the monkey will be released in the same area where it was trapped. The new sterilisation centres would be operational by November-end, Gulati said.

Four monkey sterilisation centres are at present functioning in the state. They are at Tutikandi in Shimla, Sastar in Hamirpur, Gopalpur in Kangra and in Una, where 36,000 monkeys have been operated upon.

As per forest department estimates, more than 900,000 farmers are affected by the simians in the state. Monkeys, numbering over 300,000, target mainly cereal and fruit crops.

Their menace is more acute in Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una, Mandi and Kangra districts, causing heavy losses for the people.

The problem is so huge that the state government has been requesting the centre to include the appointment of protectors of crop from wild animals, especially monkeys, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

To get rid of monkeys scientifically is one of the poll promises of his party, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal told agency.

"We are on the job. Mass sterilisation is the best option. Its positive results will start emerging once half their total population is sterilised," he said, adding "the cash incentive (for catching monkeys for vasectomy) will also be a source of income for local unemployed youths."

A large number of farmers under the banner of Kheti Bachao Sangharsh Samiti procured permits from the state wildlife authority in December last year to kill the monkeys that have been damaging their crops, a move that has angered wildlife activists.

The Himachal Pradesh chapter of NGO People for Animals and central agency Animal Welfare Board of India knocked on the doors of the high court against the animal killings.

Coming down heavily on the state government, a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Ahuja directed the authorities Jan 6 to stop issuing the permits.

The case is still pending in court.