From endangered tigers to stray dogs, Trongsa is becoming a preferred habitat for the animal kingdom. While the rich biodiversity boosts the country’s sustainable development goals, it is not always a pleasant story for the residents. Today they are concerned about the growing monkey population frequenting the town. Besides being a menace, residents are worried about the safety of their children.
It is common to come across a troop of monkeys in Trongsa. Infact, monkeys are everywhere especially in the early morning and towards the evening. Swinging on trees, balancing on an edge of roofing, sitting on culverts and looking for easy food, they spare nothing. Raiding dustbins, vegetable sheds and even empty houses, the town turns into a battle-torn place after they leave.
“The monkeys have bitten many people. They make us difficult to manage wastes. And incase we fail to close the windows, they would intrude our homes,” said Gembo Drukpa, the Trongsa Thromde Ngotshab.
“They get inside shops and take things. Moreover, they hang on electric and telephone wires and cutoff the lines. So, incase a live wire fall on the people walking beneath, there is a danger of causing death and house fire as well,” added Pema Gyeltshen, a resident.
The vegetable vendors are also regular victims. According to them, the monkeys enter the vegetable shed and steal whatever they can.
“Our stocks will only be safe from the monkeys if a chain-link fence could be installed here covering the base of the balcony to the ceilings, and if the entrance and exit door could be locked,” said Tshering Yangzom, a vegetable vendor.
One of the places the monkeys frequent most is the Dzong. The huge structure of the Dzong gives the monkeys a refuge whenever they have to hide. They also get plenty to eat from the leftovers thrown by the monks.
“The main reason why monkey population has increased over the years is because of feeding. The town people and the monks in the Dzong feed them and this is attracting them. The other reason is due to poor waste management,” said Phub Rinzin, the Trongsa Dzongda.
The Dzongkhag formed a taskforce, ‘Human-Monkey Conflict Management Committee’, comprising various stakeholders in the district. The committee attributed the increasing monkey population to lack of predators, poor habitat and limited food in the forests. The conducive environment to eat, breed and travel from place to place with overhanging transmission lines in the town was another reason.
The committee says it will henceforth monitor the collection, disposal of wastes, sterilize, translocate or cull few monkeys if necessary. The committee will also pilot the use of ultrasonic repellent devices and solar fencing.
“Hereafter people who are found feeding the monkeys or failing to manage their own wastes would be penalized as per relevant acts,” the Dzongda added.
Likewise, the district is also managing the landfill at Chunjhupang, which is almost full. Officials said although the landfill has enough space to store wastes for another few years, people don’t dispose off the wastes properly at the landfill. This is attracting wild animals such as monkeys and bear for food.
“When the landfill here is widened, I hope we can reduce visitations from wild animals. Especially the monkeys could be minimized as they would not get food easily hereafter,” said Sonam Dorji, the Development Regulatory Officer at Trongsa.
There is no separate record of monkey bite cases maintained with the Trongsa Hospital so far. However, about five to six cases are treated every year according to health official.
And until the measures are in place, people will have to stop feeding the monkeys and take care of their own waste, or start learning to live with the growing monkey menace.
Passang, Trongsa
Edited by Sonam
