The Nilgiris : With increasing number of tourists falling prey to monkey menace, the forest department at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) are clueless to handle the issue.
The Nilgiris : With increasing number of tourists falling prey to monkey menace, the forest department at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) are clueless to handle the issue.
Following intermittent pre-monsoon showers, the 688 sq km MTR which is home to umpteen fauna and flora has bounced back after a tough drought period. With vegetation sprouting in the forest areas, animals especially elephants, sambar and spotted deers and gaurs which had migrated to Bandipur and Wayanad forest reserves are back to MTR. Hence, the tourist footfalls have increased multifold at MTR.
After sight-seeing the tourists who return to their parking lot near the Theppakadu elephant camp are left in despair, as their vehicles could be attacked by monkeys. Off late, the monkeys in MTR have become very mischievous, as they target parked two-wheelers and cause severe damage to the vehicles. They rip seats, break lights, dismantle and bite the wires of two-wheelers.
Though complaints are flowing to the forest department on the damages, the officials are yet to chart out ways to calm down or chase the monkeys.
The tourists also allege that the monkeys not only damage the seats of the two-wheelers but also bite or pull wires. “As the monkeys nibble the wires, the two-wheelers stop mid-way posing severe inconvenience to the tourists. Due to increased elephant movement, if two-wheelers are stranded mid-way, it could lead to life threatening problems. Not only do they damage vehicles, but also ram into moving vehicles causing accidents. Instances of bites and physical attacks too have been frequently reported. The monkeys even have torn away the vehicle documents kept in bikes”, lamented a tourist.
“Though tourists urge to tranquilise the problematic monkeys, it is practically not possible. As this is not a confined area but a vast reserve with thousands of monkeys. We are charting out ways to control the menace”, opined a forest officer from MTR.
The tourists have requested the forest department to appoint a guard near the parking lot and burst crackers to scare away the mischievous monkeys which target the two-wheelers.