COLOMBO : To save the country from the menace of the monkeys, former minister and present parliamentarian Dilan Perera said that he is prepared to combat the problem successfully provided he is made the minister of monkeys.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Perera said that the population of monkeys has been increasing drastically in many parts of the island and they are a threat to the peaceful living of the people in villages and towns. “ This problem prevails not only in Badulla but also it exists in some parts of Colombo, which if not controlled in time would take a monstrous shape,” the legislator said, pointing out that wild monkeys have destroyed nearly 60% of crops in various areas, including in the Badulla district. “ If we do not address this issue the wild monkeys might enter Parliament”, he said.
Perera also pointed out that the President appointed Ministers to address issues pertaining to the human- elephant conflict, clay, batik and handlooms, and the relevant Minister have commenced work in this regard.
“ If the President hands over the post of Minister to address issues surrounding wild monkeys, I too will commence work to take measures in this regard,” he added.
As monkey numbers in the Akkaraipattu, Addalaichenai, Oluvil, Palamunai, Thiraikeny, Ashraff Nagar, Meelath Nagar and Alamkulam areas have been on the rise, residents said they faced hardships on a daily basis. Housewives said monkeys enter kitchens and steal food. Villagers use crackers to drive monkeys away.
Groups of monkeys often damage tiles and asbestos sheets, while jumping onto and running along roofs and also pose a threat to home gardens and farms. Coconut trees are targetted the most, villagers added.
Some residents of rural Polonnaruwa in north central Sri Lanka had little or no clue why monkeys were regularly raiding their kitchens and rummaging through garbage bins. All they knew was that the intelligent and mischievous primates were stealing food from their kitchens, damaging their homes and attacking crops.
For centuries, villagers in Sri Lanka have lived in a balanced relationship with monkeys. Villagers chased monkeys attempting to raid and monkeys respected humans. Raiding success was minimal and monkey populations were stable.
What has changed in the last 30 years or so is the growth, especially of local tourists, who leave food scraps around the environment, especially at pilgrimage sites, and feed the monkeys — essentially creating pests for local villagers. The proliferation of guesthouses and hotels has contributed to the problem of excess environmental garbage because of ineffective refuse control. Elephants, monkeys, pigs, peacocks, crows and rats are attracted to human food sources.
The monkeys in particular were turning into pests, and chasing them away became a daily ritual for the villagers.
