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The Forest Department said that under the supervision of a local volunteer, more than 200 monkeys are provided with 15 kgs of bananas, two kgs of vegetables, two kgs of bread and two kgs of peanuts every day.

However, this food allocation is not part of a permanent programme, it says.

Md Shafiqul Islam, range officer of the Kotchandpur Range under the Forest Department, said a local youth, Nazmul Hossain, voluntarily began feeding the monkeys around 10 years ago. He also worked to raise awareness among farmers and arranged treatment for injured monkeys whenever possible.

It is Nazmul who named the monkeys.

After this came to the government’s attention in 2022, the Jashore Social Forestry Division introduced a limited daily food supply programme and appointed Nazmul as the caretaker.

He added that the monkeys’ natural diet mainly consists of wild fruits, roots and the leaves of various trees.

Nazmul said that the supplied food is nowhere near enough for around 200 monkeys, leaving them hungry most of the time.

As a result, the monkeys frequently raid nearby crop fields in search of food, prompting angry farmers to drive them away or attack them. Very little natural food remains in the area, and the limited resources often trigger violent territorial conflicts.

Nazmul also said that 12 to 15 monkeys die each year from electrocution or injuries sustained in road accidents. With no local veterinary facilities available, many injured monkeys die before the Forest Department can arrange treatment.

He urged the government to increase food allocations for the animals and establish proper veterinary care for them.