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Monkeys are increasing in Nepal

23-11-2009 Ramesh Prasad Bhushal, The Himalayan Times, Nepal


KATHMANDU: The population of monkeys in Nepal is increasing at a fairly large proportion, according to studies commissioned at different time period.

Researchers who teamed up for this new enterprising project have discovered that the population of monkey in Sankhu and Bhaktapur shot up from 90 in 2006 to 125 in 2008.
Similarly, the number of monkeys inhabiting Palpa Bazar of Palpa district almost doubled in two years.
Researchers, who claimed to have carried out sampling survey, spotted 32 monkeys in Palpa Bazar in 2004. In 2006, they counted up to 60.

Overall, they concluded that the national annual rate of increase in the size of the monkey stood at 25 per cent, thanks largely to the heightened conservation efforts and slumped in poaching activities.

Kathmandu alone boosts for more than 1,000 of those primates, mostly inhabiting the Pashupatinath area. But the growth has not been steady when compared with other parts of the country, apparently due to unbridled urbanisation process and loss of habitat.

“We carried out annual survey in many places of the country to conclude that there is a significant increase in the population of the monkey,” said Dr.Mukesh Kumar Chalise, a monkey expert.

The unexpected rise in the growth of monkey population has been attributed to increased conservation efforts, which had spawned the species, especially through increased availability of food and breeding grounds, Chalise said.

Experts also partly attribute the extraordinary jump in the population of the primates to prohibition of hunting.
The recent population data of the monkeys was compiled by a group of researchers, lead by Chalise.

Nepal houses three types of monkeys, namely, Rhesus (Rato Badar), Assame (Pahare Bandar), and the slender long-tailed monkey locally known as Hanuman Langur.

The increased population of the monkey may sound alarm bell for many local residents routinely troubled by the primates, but the researchers said the primates could be of valuable source for biomedical research in the country.
“We can use monkey for different purposes, one of which is biomedical research, which has a very high demand in the international market,”added Chalise.

Experts said monkey farming is one potential area which could benefit the people but bemoaned that the government was not interested in it.

Instead of harnessing benefits from the primates, the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has started a campaign to put a halt on the captive breeding of the endangered Rhesus Monkey.

Simian distribution
Pashupati 400
Gokarna 50
Shivapuri 100
Nil Barahi 40
Sankhu 100

(Bron: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/)