Indian experts help Nepal town get rid of monkey menace

Authorities in eastern Nepal's Dhankuta town have sought Indian wildlife specialists' help to captures monkeys, who have damaged crops in the region and become a menace for the people, officials said today.

Several people from Dhankuta municipality and adjoining villages fled the area after hundreds of monkeys damaged their crops and even physically attacked some of them, the official said.

"We have brought eight monkey trackers from Utter Pradesh, India, who are paid Rs 1,500 per monkey for catching the simians," said Naresh Shrestha, chairman, ward no 6 of the municipality.

During the local elections last year, the voters had sought commitment from the candidates on controlling the wildlife in the area.

He said the municipality had allocated Rs 500,000 to fight the monkeys and an additional Rs 500,000 were also provided for it, but the situation only worsened.

So far, 205 monkeys have been taken under control with the help of the Indian monkey trackers, who aim to catch some 600 simians within a couple of months to relieve the locals of the menace, Shreshtha said.

The municipality has launched a two-week long campaign to catch the monkeys. The monkeys will be kept in a bamboo cage before being freed in the nearby forest.

More budget will be allocated for the purpose next year, Shreshtha said.