Hyderabad: In a first of its kind, the forest department is all set to inaugurate a monkey rescue and rehabilitation center in the Nirmal forest on Sunday. The forest is known for its large simian population.
Forests minister Indrakaran Reddy will launch this center on December 20, which is being taken up as a pilot project at Chincholi in Sarangpur.
The facility has been established at a cost of Rs. 2.25 crore by the forest department in the view of increased biotic pressure on forest habits and increased population of monkeys.
According to a forest official, the increasing population of monkeys is causing disturbance both in the urban and rural areas to control their population. Measures are being taken to reduce the number of monkeys in the state.
“Monkeys will be caught from different parts of the state and then be moved to the center. After a week, they shall be neutered to curb the proliferation of monkeys. After they are fully recovered, monkeys will be released into the wild forest,” said the forest department official.
Moreover, monkeys with different physical ailments will also be treated at the center. “The center has a veterinarian, assistants, a laboratory and an operation theatre with the necessary equipment,” the official said. “Cages were also specially made to house the monkeys and their favorite fruit-bearing trees are also grown in the precinct,” he added.
Along with the forested area, the Nirmal district has become a habitat for monkeys as it is surrounded by historic sites, forts, towers and ponds. The monkeys lost their habitat as the historic buildings fell into disrepair and the forest area became extinct.
“The issue of monkeys was often raised by the locals of Nirmal. They also complain that due to the increasing population of monkeys in the district, their crops unprotected and human life endangered,” said Chief Forest Officer PK Sharma