While Shri Dharma Sastha Temple at Sasthamcotta, known for its feast for monkeys, shelters a troop of monkeys as part of an age-old tradition, the residents of nearby areas are living a nightmare.
Hundreds of monkeys who have left the temple premises are wreaking havoc in the residential areas, and the panchayat has sought the help of Forest department to trap and translocate them.
“There has been an alarming rise in monkey population during the last few years. Since they feed on a wide range of food, farmers are the most affected. Agriculture has become non-existent in many part, as they eat fruits, leaves and even tubers. We are left with no other option but to leave our land barren,” says Kochaniyan, resident.
Apart from crop damage, incidents of monkey attacks are on the rise as they enter houses, steal food, destroy crops, and snatch anything on sight. “These are the offspring of temple monkeys that have ventured outside in search of food. The food served at the temple is not sufficient for the growing number of monkeys and they are spreading out to all parts of the panchayat. They attack children and damage vehicles parked outside. We cannot chase them away as they roam in groups. We have approached the Forest department and the plan is to install cages in the area to trap the monkeys and release them in the forest,” says R. Ajayakuamr, vice-president, Sasthamcotta gramapanchayat.
Vaccination
Some wards including Sasthamcotta town are affected most, as many residents had to take vaccination after they were bitten. “Very often, you see monkeys breaking open water tanks and tearing pipelines to take bath or throwing trash into wells. People are scared and distressed, but no action has been taken by authorities. I get a lot of calls from distraught residents, but we are helpless,” says Y. Prakshini, a ward member.
Meanwhile, Forest department officials feel that translocation is not always the solution due to the complex nature of the menace.
“Monkey translocation is a tricky issue, as they belong to the bonnet macaque species seen in forest fringes. Their normal habitat is not interior forest and they will always move to the periphery if we try to relocate them. It simply means moving the menace from one place to another. What we need is a scientific strategy for population control that includes sterilizing,” says an official.
The Animal Husbandry department had made some unsuccessful attempts to control the menace and they say capturing monkeys is no easy task. “You cannot capture hundreds of monkeys using nets or cages. Tranquillising them is also not practical and the only solution is to deprive them food. When you stop feeding monkeys, they will go back to forest and it has happened in many parts of the State during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says D. Shine Kumar, head, District Veterinary Centre, Kollam.
