Evaluating the impact of capture and translocation of trouble making toque monkey (Macaca Sinica) troops in Mahakanda village, as a tool of mitigating the human-macaque conflict

Abstract

The Sri Lankan Toque Monkey (Macaca sinica), an endemic species, has lead to conflict with humans either as individuals or as troops, has been experienced in several parts in the country. Despite several complaints to Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and other relevant authorities, very little had been done to relive the public from this disaster. Young generation of children seeing their parents developing anger towards animals is not in agreement with Sri Lankan culture and therefore a prompt solution need to be adopted to save lives of these animals and also reduce distress to people. Capture and translocation as a solution to the acute problem, has been attempted at several locations. This presentation is of preliminary results of a survey carried out in 56 out of 789 house holds in Mahakanda, Kandy during April-May 2010 with the objective of examining perceptions of people about monkeys, their destruction and the impact of capture and translocation process which was done in September 2009. A detailed questionnaire which included mostly closed ended questions, on crop and property damage done by monkeys prior to the translocation program, type of the crops that were damaged, other disturbance or injury or harm to people done by such monkeys before capturing and the current situation after translocation. In the village, 84% respondents have been exposed to this problem for more than 10 years and monkeys have damaged roofs of 73% of them. A total of 84% of respondents feel that they visit households not in search of food. The problem had been so bad that the respondents had to slash 204 trees and most of the affected had been people living in this area for at least 20 years. Most common trees monkeys destroy are coconut, mango, banana and Jackfruit while arecanut (one species), orange trees, chilies and one species of banana have never been attacked. Majority (98%) think that monkeys are a nuisance and a cause for environmental pollution because they disperse garbage all over. 96% of the respondents have changed their daily routine in order to combat this problem. Most commonly respondents use catapult, throw stones or use loud noises such as firecrackers to chase them away. However, 5% of respondents have even poisoned them too. A total of 36 (64%) respondents indicated that capture and translocation solved their primary problem at least temporarily for a period of 2 months while 11 (19%) indicated that this was effective for a period of at least 6 months. It was also found that the houses of later category of respondents were situated close to the traps used to capture monkeys and possibly through fear the monkeys did not come to that area. Overall however, 62% of the respondents indicated that it resolved some problems and would like to continue with it while 36% indicated that this provided no solution. The respondents stated that the new troops of monkeys (approximately 15-20) visiting their home gardens frequently, but stay much short time period and are less destructive compared to the ones that were captured and translocated. It appears therefore, that capture and translocation, though solve acute problem of people and thus relieve their distress, is not a permanent solution. However, ones monkeys get used to visit home gardens in Kandy where edibles are freely available throughout the year, it may be essential to translocate. It is also clear that new solutions in repulsing monkeys from home gardens and easily adoptable birth control methods for monkeys need to be explored while some behavioral changes of people with regard to cultivation and garbage disposal also are warranted in order to resolve this psycho social problem in a long lasting manner.