Soaring temp, shortage of water make monkey menace deadlier in Jaipur

JAIPUR: Monkey menace has been increasing in the city, supposedly due to soaring temperatures and shortage of drinking water for animals in the wild. Like in the case of dogs, experts say that due to shortage of drinking water and rising temperature, there has been a rise in complaints received by the Jaipur municipal corporation (JMC).
JMC had tendered monkey-catching tender to a firm in February 27, 2019 and until now, around 1,000 monkeys have been caught.However, people around the city, especially in Walled City, have been continuously calling the JMC authorities about the menace. Though around five complaints regarding monkeys are filed everyday, but in summers, they can go up to eight to nine as well.
Sushila Gupta, resident of Tilak Nagar said that they have installed grills in their balcony due to the constant visit by these primates. “They would come often and destroy plants, tear apart the cushions on chair and once, they entered our bedroom. It is a major problem here and we complained to the JMC authorities many times, but they still haven’t been removed completely.”
Hundreds of complaints are pending at the JMC at present. Krishna Meena, a contractor at JMC, who has been catching monkeys for the last three months, says that these animals are really smart to not make the same mistake of being caught again. “Usually, they are in a group. So, when we lay a trap with a bait, from one group, 15 monkeys are caught. Then, the remaining monkeys understand the trick and the next time we put up a bait, they alert other monkeys by making noise. Hence, we are not able to remove monkeys totally from one area, which is why the complaints are pending,” said Meena.
After being caught, they are kept in JMC control room at Sanjay market and then taken to Ranthambore or Sariska to be left in the wild. Leaving the animals in the wild is another headache for the contractors, who have to face opposition from the villagers living in the vicinity of forests. “We have to quickly release the monkeys in dark to avoid villagers, and there is no other option,” said Meena.
Officials at JMC say that heatstroke does affect the monkeys, but unlike dogs, there is no permanent solution for the monkeys to have one drinking place. “Even if we install drinking water at one place, there is a possibility that they can destroy it and keeping it in a residential area will make it difficult for others.” Meena said that there are around 10,000 monkeys in Jaipur and 3,000-4,000 at Galtaji temple, where these monkeys are usually spread in the city. “The only way to curb this problem is to have these monkeys sterilized, that will cost more. But until this solution is implemented, the monkey menace will never end in the city,” said Meena.