Page 52 - 15MAR2019E

Monkey business needs

to end soon in Himachal

The incidents of monkey attacks, which were put at 2,323 are the places that lead in monkey bit-
ing cases in the state as the population
between 2004 and 2018, sometime lead to deaths and cost in these areas is very high. Inhabitants of
the state government tens of millions of rupees each year, these localities have been forced to erect
iron grills outside their doors and win-
report esther kampor and houzou pitemnewe pyabalo dows to protect themselves from mon-
key attacks. The encroachment of forests
t’s 2pm. We are at The Ridge road trying to escape from monkey pursuit by human beings has forced monkeys to
in Shimla. The street is animated. on a road is knocked down by a car and live in the human territory.
It swarms with people. Suddenly a dies. Again, trees are being cut for con-
group of monkeys emerge from no- The incidents of monkey attacks, accord- struction projects. These actions make
I where and sneak into the queue of ing to the Himachal Pradesh Govern- the forest devoid of some important
walkers, making an extreme din. While ment Forest Department, are roughly trees that are crucial for the wild animals’
passers-by try running to escape the pri- put at 2,323 between 2004 and 2018. It survival. The forest gradually become in-
mates, one of the monkeys snatches ice- cost the state government around 10.35 capable to produce enough food for all
cream pulled from the hands of a little million.
girl and runs away. Human beings are not the only target Under attack Monkeys have been aggressive not
Such incidents, we are told, are not of these species. According to the state’s only in fields but also attack humans in towns
rare in Shimla. Many time monkey agriculture department, a crop loss of
attacks in the capital of the northern around 19 million was reported due
Indian state of Himachal Pradesh lead to wild animals, particularly monkeys,
to severely injuries. At other times, their in 2017. Farmers growing horticulture
assaults cause deaths. The Himachal For- crops, meanwhile, suffered a loss of Rs 15
est Department has classified monkey million.
attacks into three categories — simple The question is why these monkeys,
attacks, aggrieve injury, permanent dis- who are normally supposed to live in a
ability and in the worst case death. Dam- place far from humans, are now living
ages are paid to the victims accordingly closer to people? Well, the reason could
after investigation. be many. The population of monkeys
♦ Simple attack is when the monkey ap- — who were declared vermins by the
proach people but does not bite them. authorities in 2014 — is growing rap-
It may involve snatching food from the idly. Their population was estimated at
passersby or assail them without any 207,816 in 2015, with an annual growth
strikes or bites. If there is no injury, the rate of 21.4 per cent. Rhesus macaque is
victims are compensated up to 15,000. the most widespread species in Shimla.
♦ Aggrieve injury means an attack with The state government is unable to con-
bites its compensation amount is up to trol it.
75,000. The human beings — in their quest for
♦ If a monkey assault affects the human land for constructions of roads, schools,
body and causes the loss of the usage of hotels, etc — are stealing on the forests —
one of the membranes, it’s considered the dwelling place of wild animals. With
as permanent disability. The compen- shrinking space for them, the primates
sation for it is up to 2 lakh. are forced to live with human beings
♦ Serious infections after a monkey bite in cities and towns. They could be seen
some time lead to death. In this case, hanging with the electric cables or living
the compensation price is up to 4 lakhs. on the roofs of the buildings.
It also covers deaths due to a simple Mall Road, Chhotta Shimla, Jakhu
monkey attack. For example, a person Temple, lower Panthaghati and Sanjauli

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