Human monkey conflict in Sri Lanka over last 50 years

 

Human monkey conflict in Sri Lanka over last 50 years

Sri Lanka has been facing human-monkey conflict for several decades, particularly in the central hill areas of the country where large populations of toque macaque monkeys (Macaca sinica) live. The conflict has intensified over the last 50 years due to various reasons such as habitat destruction, fragmentation, and conversion of forest areas into agricultural land, urbanization, and tourism development.

As a result, monkeys have been forced to venture into human settlements in search of food and water, leading to a significant increase in human-monkey interactions. This has resulted in various negative consequences for both humans and monkeys. For instance, monkeys have been known to raid crops, damage property, and even attack humans, causing injuries and sometimes even death. Additionally, human activities such as feeding the monkeys have led to behavioral changes in the animals, leading to a further escalation of the conflict.

 Efforts to mitigate the human-monkey conflict in Sri Lanka have been ongoing, including the implementation of various management strategies such as translocation, sterilization, and population control measures. However, these have not been entirely successful in resolving the issue, and the conflict continues to be a significant problem in many parts of the country.