Lift ban on export of monkeys, says Himachal minister

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri on Friday asked the central government to lift the ban on export of Rhesus monkeys to help the state in getting rid of the monkey menace.

Raising the issue with top officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change here, he said the ban on exporting monkeys was imposed in 1978.

To tackle the abnormal increase in their population in the state, Bharmouri also proposed to explore the possibility of translocation of monkeys to the north eastern region as the habitat there is congenial for them.

Himachal Pradesh on August 31 announced a cash incentive of Rs. 300 for killing a monkey in areas outside the forests where they have been declared as vermin by the central government.

A notification was issued on March 14 by the central government declaring monkeys vermin in Shimla for a period of six months.

Another notification was issued in May to treat monkeys as vermin for a period of one year in 38 tehsils of the state including Chamba, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Kullu, Hamirpur, Solan and Mandi.

The minister also sought central funding for the state`s Rs. 1,300 crore project named "Himachal Pradesh: Forests for Prosperity" that aims to increase economic development and increase rural livelihood.