T.N.’s first monkey rehab centre nears completion

The State’s first monkey rehabilitation centre coming up at M.R. Palayam near Tiruchi is nearing completion.

“There has been an increase in instances of monkeys straying into agricultural fields and farmers have been complaining at the monthly grievances day meetings that their crops were being damaged in different parts of Perambalur, Tiruchi and Pudukottai districts,” says a Forest Department official.

Monkeys also stray into urban areas causing panic among residents.

The monkeys, mostly from reserve forest areas, stray into urban centres or agricultural fields in search of water and food, especially during summer, officials say.

According to Forest officials in Pudukottai district, the problem is felt even at the Collector’s office. “We have to keep a cage and trap the animals periodically,” an officer says.

The Pudukottai Forest Department officials have been releasing the trapped animals into the forest area on the border of Pudukottai and Sivaganga district only to see that the monkeys return to the urban areas.

The monkey rehabilitation centre, once inaugurated, would accommodate stray monkeys caught in different parts of the region. The thick growth of trees all around the sprawling campus of about hundreds of acres would provide adequate forest ambience to the animals, officials hope.

Tiruchi is one of the centres identified by the Forest Department for setting up the centre. Similar centres would be set up at nine other places, including Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Coimbatore.

Source