Mumbai: Cuffe Parade residents are a worried lot, as wild monkeys have returned to the area. Locals believe that the monkey menace they had faced a couple of weeks ago will resume, once the primates start entering their homes. Experts, however, are of the firm belief that the monkeys had been left behind by their charmers after they were deemed old or unfit to perform for them.
Mayur Kamath, Mumbai’s Honorary Wildlife Warden and State Wildlife Board member explained, “There are places like Sanjay Gandhi National Park that have dozens of monkeys but residents residing on its periphery have no complaints. This is because the monkeys are omnivores and eat every thing from leaves to small insects that are found in forests. Hence, they do not leave their place.” Mr Kamath further explained, “These monkeys identify objects offered by humans and understand that it is something that they can eat. Hence, offering foods to the monkeys needs to be stopped.
Pawan Sharma, founder of Resqink Association of Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), explains, “People often chase monkeys away when they spot them in their residential or commercial areas, thus monkeys regularly visit them due to availability of food and favourable conditions. The biggest problem is that monkeys are basically ignored when it comes to conservation efforts as the priority is mainly on big cats. In fact, no census or population estimation or detailed study has been done on monkeys.” “The forest department should act promptly and should not end up giving excuses that they came but could not find monkeys,” said Haresh Hathiramani, a local.
