Take steps to control monkey menace, educational institutions in Tenkasi told

The Tenkasi Forest Division has mandated the educational institutions situated closer to forest areas to take steps to control the monkey menace on their premises.

In a letter to the institutions, R. Rajmohan, District Forest Officer, Tenkasi, said the department said complaints regarding monkey menace in and around educational institutions located along the forest fringe areas of Tenkasi Forest Division and Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary had increased in recent years. As these institutions were close to notified forest areas, they fall within the natural habitat and ‘monkey corridors’, resulting in frequent intrusion into school and college premises.

While safety of students was paramount, it was pertinent to note that the population of certain native primate species such as the Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata) had shown declining trends in parts of its range because of habitat degradation, food stress, and human interference. Considering its conservation importance, the species had been accorded higher legal protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended). Scientific management, habitat protection, and reduction of negative human–animal interactions were therefore essential both for wildlife conservation and public safety.

“While protection of wildlife is of utmost importance, it is equally necessary to prevent human–animal conflict, particularly ensuring the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the visitors coming to the educational institutions. In this regard, all colleges and schools have been requested to implement the certain preventive and management measures to control monkey menace within the campus,” Dr. Rajmohan said.

The preventive steps include ensuring campus cleanliness, avoiding accumulation of food waste, leftovers, and biodegradable refuse in open areas, scientific solid waste management, implementing proper solid waste segregation and disposal systems, regular removal of garbage through authorised local body arrangements, closed waste storage in monkey-proof containers for food and organic wastes, and avoiding open dustbins or uncovered waste baskets.

The students and the staff should be instructed not to have food in open areas such as playgrounds, corridors, terraces or parking areas. They should have food or snack in closed areas such as dining hall or canteen. Monkeys were attracted to food waste and hence random disposal of waste should be avoided. The school and the college administration should ensure that canteen kitchens, store rooms, and hostel mess areas are properly closed with mesh or grills. Overhead tanks and terrace used for drying food should be covered properly, Dr. Rajmohan said in his letter.

The students should not be allowed to feed or tease the monkeys. When the monkeys become aggressive, the student should avoid crowding or attempting to drive them away. Instead, the nearest Forest department office should be alerted for assistance.

The educational institutions located close to the forest areas should constitute institutional monitoring committees comprising staff and the students to oversee waste management and implementation of monkey-menace control measures.

“Tenkasi landscape is ecologically sensitive and closely associated with forest ecosystems. Monkeys form an integral component of this biodiversity and are legally protected wildlife. Hence, institutions must adopt preventive, non-harmful, and eco-friendly management practices to ensure both wildlife conservation and human safety. All educational institutions are requested to treat this matter as important and implement the above instructions scrupulously. A brief compliance report on the action taken by each educational institution should be submitted to District Forest Office at the earliest,” Dr. Rajmohan added in his letter.