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Monkey menace in Juri

Loss of habitat and food forces the primates to enter localities

MINTU DESHWARA, Moulvibazar
Wild monkeys, entering localities in search of food, are creating nuisance in 15 villages of Juri upazila in Moulvibazar.
Moving in droves, the monkeys ransack the kitchens, spoil food, scare the children off and damage vegetable gardens, the villagers said, adding that the situation in recent years has turned unbearable for them.
Fatema Begum, a resident of Pachimjuri area in Pachimjuri union, said she could hardly grow vegetables in the fields due to frequent attack by monkeys, who enter the locality from the adjacent sprawling Jury forest.
"They are also eating cooked rice in the house, sometimes leaving the curry cauldron scattered upside down. They mess up everything in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the forest department is not taking any action against the monkey menace,” Begum said.
Pachimjuri village guard Ashok Kumar Das said that students are afraid of going to school because monkeys often surround them on their way and stalk them aggressively creating scary noise.
Monaf Mia, a resident of Sagarnal village, said sometimes monkeys attack people, especially children. The monkeys even destroy utensils. Due to fear, many people keep the doors and windows closed in the daytime.
"We are being affected in many ways. If the
authorities do not take action, injuries to both human and wildlife may occur sooner rather than later,"Miawarned.
Wildlife experts, however, termed the situation as a classic case of repercussions of deforestation.
"Monkeys are taking revenge. We are destroying the Juri forest by setting up establishments and cutting the trees indiscriminately for years. With wildlife habitats under threat the animals are forced to come to the locality,” said wildlife expert Tania Khan, who has her own wildlife organisation named Save Our Unprotected Life (SOUL).
"If we can ensure the monkey's safe habitat and food, they will surely return to the forest," said Khan, also an animal researcher and a wildlife photographer.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's (Bapa) central committee member Tofazzal Sohel said locals use trees and plants as firewood and so, the number of trees has declined significantly in recent years.
"Also, the primates rely on fruits, which have become scarce in the forests. The monkeys lost their habitat due to unplanned urbanisation. The situation has led to food crisis of the animals," he said.
Sohel demanded that forests and biodiversity spots should be protected and developed properly in line with the legal frameworks of Wildlife Protection Act.
The monkeys are coming to the locality due to food crisis, said Abu Musa Shamsul Muhith Chowdhury, Sylhet divisional forest officer (wildlife and nature conservation department).
"The people have gradually started constructing houses in or near the forest, which are affecting the habitat and food for wildlife. However, different types of fruit trees are being planted in the forests as part of the plan to solving the problem," he added.
Abdul Mannan, assistant range officer of Juri Upazila forest office in Moulvibazar, told this correspondent that Juri forest covered 19,144 acres of land according to a 1938 survey report.
"But we don't have the present data. A section of people occupy forest lands and sometimes fell down trees," said Mannan, adding that it is not possible to protect the forest with a limited number of workers and logistical support they have.
Moreover, the law enforcement agencies did not provide sufficient assistance to the forest department in this regard, he claimed.
Moni Kishor Roy Chowdhury, vice-chairman of Juri Upazila Parishad, said that he got complaint of monkey menace from people of 15 villages including Coalbari, Purbojuri, Pachimjuri, Sagarnal, Puthichara, Somonbagh, Lathitila, Binodpur, Gobindapur, Suknachara and Jaifornagarofthe upazila.
"I have duly informed the authorities concerned of the matter," he said.