Troop of monkeys disrupt routine in the Nilgiris

Troop of monkeys disrupt routine in the Nilgiris

COONOOR: Residents of Coonoor and many parts of the Nilgiris are forced to keep their windows and doors shut not because of the cold climate, but for invading monkeys. Many hotels have also exhibited boards advising guests to keep their windows closed to safeguard their possessions from the monkeys.

While farmers lose crops and hence income, residents are forced to spend huge sums to repair their tiles, windows and broken bulbs. The monkeys use the cable wires as a bridge to cross from one house to another which at times also is also pulled down.

Retired planter Ajit Mathews said, “Monkey menace is a big problem for all residents. A strict crackdown on feeding the monkeys will give results.”

Seconding Ajit, another resident N Bose suggested developing a trained monkey force to act as kumki to drive the ransacking monkeys away.

Convener of Federation of Service Organisations R Subramaniam said catching and sterilising the monkeys to curtail their population is required.

President of Netaji Social Circle, an NGO working in the residential Reilly Compound in the heart of Coonoor, told TNIE, “Not a day passes without battalions of monkeys invading our houses, destroying flowers and fruits in the gardens, damaging cable wires and even breaking tiles and barge boards. No amount of representation to the authorities has helped us.”

When contacted, forest officials confirmed that they periodically get complaints and have also caught and transported a few monkeys into deep forests. “People should stop feeding the monkeys,” an official said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com