Municipality declares holiday to chase monkeys

BY KABI RAJ GHIMIRE,Hile, May 14: After monkeys began causing nuisance to the locals, the Laligurans Municipality in Tehrathum has decided to declare a public holiday on May 15 to drive the monkeys away. The holiday has been announced to conduct a collective monkey-chasing campaign aimed at controlling the growing monkey menace.

Mayor Arjun Mabohang said that monkeys started destroying crops and vegetables produced by farmers. To solve the problem, the municipality plans to unite the community in a coordinated effort to chase the monkeys away. He stated that farmers have been suffering heavy financial losses due to the monkeys, and many have been forced to guard their fields day and night. In some cases, even school-aged children have had to skip school to protect crops, prompting the municipality to launch the campaign and declare a public holiday.

In a public notice, the municipality stated that although the monkey problem may appear minor on the surface, it has had a serious impact on farmers. The notice read, “Farmers are forced to stay awake all night, guarding their fields to protect their agricultural produce. This has affected not only their economic condition, but also children’s education and the daily lives of families.”

The municipality has announced that on May 15 and 16, a mass campaign will be carried out to chase the monkeys beyond the municipal boundaries. 

Farmers, public representatives, employees, and residents have been publicly urged to participate in the campaign by gathering at the designated times and locations set by the wards.

The municipality has also arranged temporary monitoring structures and deployed caretakers to control the monkeys. According to the municipality, monkey watch posts have currently been set up in Megha Puchhar of Ward No. 8, Nageshwari, the junction area of Ward Nos. 6 and 8, and Singhthap Puchhar in Ward No. 5. At present, the municipality has deployed four monkey watchers in different areas to help drive the monkeys away.

Recently, the monkey problem has become increasingly severe in Nepal’s hill districts. Farmers have complained that monkeys are causing heavy damage, especially to maize, potatoes, fruits, and vegetable crops, forcing many of them to abandon farming altogether.