NEW DELHI: Succumbing to state government’s repeated requests, the Union environment ministry has declared monkeys “vermin” for six months in Shimla, clearing the decks for their large-scale extermination. Monkeys are known be a major menace in the highly-thronged tourist destination.
The notification in this regard was issued on March 14, allowing the Himachal Pradesh government to take steps for simian’s mass neutralisation. Monkey is the third species which has been declared vermin after wild boars and nilgai. The notification would insulate the state authorities from any penal provisions under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Sources in the environment ministry said that over the past few months, they have incessantly been approached by the state government to take this step because of destruction to property and crops caused by the animal in Shimla.
Several incidents of attacks on visitors are frequently reported as well with an estimate of 200 monkey bite cases every month. In a recent proposal, the Himachal government had urged the ministry of environment to declare monkey’s vermin in as many as 39 tehsils, including seven in Kangra, five in Una, Bilaspur and Sirmaur.
