Tansen (Palpa), 25 March: Forest users of Palpa have demanded from the government to be allowed to keep loaded guns after being harassed by monkeys. They have demanded to be allowed to keep loaded guns for security, saying that monkeys have destroyed the crops planted by the locals and have started attacking people.
Consumers participating in a program organized by the Division Forest Office in the district have demanded approval for the possession of loaded guns, saying that monkeys have increased insecurity in the village and even destroyed food supplies. Saraswati Basyal of Baganaskali Rural Municipality said that although the locals have tried various ways to drive away the monkeys, it has not been possible, so the government should grant permission to keep a loaded gun as an alternative.
He said that there is a demand for the possession of loaded guns for protection as the monkeys enter homes and eat crops and attack children due to the scarcity of food as most of the land becomes barren. He stressed that the government should enact strict laws to control the monkey terror as even though monkeys are carnivores, they have started eating domesticated chickens, pigeons and other animals due to lack of food.
Basyal said that ripe corn husks have been seen in the village, and monkeys and wild boars have eaten and destroyed all the fruits and vegetables. “The villagers are afraid to leave their small children at home and go to work. Monkeys come to the house and start looking for food near the porch and stove. It is becoming difficult for people not only to make ends meet but also to survive,” he said.
Bhupati Bhattarai said that even though he guards the fields to protect the ripening crops during the winter and rainy season, it is difficult to protect them. He said that when monkeys that come to eat the grain are chased away, they turn towards people and attack them.
Bhattarai said, “Monkeys have started attacking not only crops but also people. If the monkeys cannot be controlled, the entire village will be empty. If the government does not allow the possession of loaded guns, the situation will definitely become more complicated.” He said that now the question has been raised whether to protect crops or people.
Bhawani Gautam, chairperson of the Tansen Municipality-based Community Forestry Federation, stressed the need to enact laws and regulations to control monkeys as they remain a challenge and implement them effectively. She said that the Federation has been repeatedly drawing the government’s attention to this issue.
Chief District Officer Toyanarayan Subedi said that it is not humans who are driving monkeys away, but monkeys who are driving people away. He said that a solution will be sought after discussing with the concerned bodies regarding the problems caused by monkeys in the district and the suffering faced by the people in rural areas.
Pradya Subedi said, “The problem has arisen due to the monkey menace. Now, instead of people chasing away the monkeys, people have to leave their homes and live outside after a herd of monkeys surrounds them.” He said that complaints have been coming from villages saying that the monkeys are causing trouble.
“I received a call last week, a group of monkeys entered our neighborhood house. We left the house and were living in a nearby garden. We had to provide immediate security, so I immediately sent the police and they chased the monkeys away,” said Pradya Subedi. “Now, the monkeys are causing so much trouble that people have to leave their homes and run away.”
Division Forest Chief Narayandev Bhattarai said that since the government has declared wild animals harmful to agriculture, farmers will not face legal action if red monkeys and wild boars die while chasing them from their fields. “Monkeys and wild boars have been declared agricultural pests because they damage crops,” Bhattarai said. “If a monkey or wild boar dies while chasing it when it enters a field, farmers will no longer be subject to legal action.” He said that if a monkey causes damage to crops or property, farmers can chase it away, chase it away, or catch it individually or collectively.
Bhattarai said that if a monkey or boar dies while chasing, hunting or catching it, information should be given to the concerned ward office. He informed that the Panchakirti price of the dead boar can be fixed based on its weight and the amount can be deposited in the revenue department and used for non-commercial purposes within the concerned ward of the concerned local level.
