Monkey park: BY Raghavendra’s remark irks greens
SHIVAMOGGA: BJP MP BY Raghavendra’s purported remark against wildlife activists that they should keep monkeys and other wild animals in their houses if they are concerned about such animals has received flak from greens.
They urged the MP to drop the plan to set up a monkey park and instead reclaim about 60,000 hectares of land from the defunct Mysore Paper Mills (MPM) and plant fruit bearing trees there. The state government has decided to set up the monkey park in an island near Chakranagara forest in Hosanagara taluk and relocate monkeys that enter farms and damage crops there.
Raghavendra, during his visit to flood-hit Shikaripur taluk on Tuesday, spoke to farmers and said, “Wildlife activists will oppose the proposed park. Protecting the environment is important. But, at the same time, the interest of farmers should be protected. If forest officials are concerned about wild animals that trouble farmers, let them keep them in the zoo. Let the activists keep wild animals such as monkeys, elephants and bisons in their houses.”
Sagar-based wildlife activist Akhilesh Chipli said, “We environmentalists are ready to adopt wild animals. Let the government allow us to do so. MPs should talk responsibly. Relocating monkeys is not a good idea.”
Wildlife activist Ajay Kumar Sharma told TNIE that monkeys migrate to human habitats when dietary resources decline in forests. “Influential politicians have built educational institutions in the Shettihalli Forest. Many people have encroached land to take up agricultural activities. As the habitats of monkeys are declining, they are entering human habitats in search of food,” he said.
Sharma said that relocating monkeys to an island is impractical. “How many monkeys can the Forest Department relocate? If all the monkeys are kept in one place, they will clash with each there and die. Supplying food to the relocated monkeys will be a Herculean task.
Instead, fruit trees should be grown inside forests so that monkeys gorge on such fruits. If the land given to MPM is reclaimed and saplings are planted, many animals will take shelter there. The land given to MPM is located in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts,” he said.
