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Trap and release
"Monkeys have become a problem in many urban areas such as Pelawatte, Maharagama, Ratmalana, Kandy and Hikkaduwa," says Wildlife Director-General H.M.B.C. Herath attributing it to the clearing of large tracts of land for housing and development, taking away the monkeys’ habitats.

Explaining that the two types of monkeys which frequent urban areas are the Purple-faced leaf monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus) aka vandura and the Toque monkey (Macaca sinica) aka rilawa, he said that the department had initiated plans about two years ago to build small cages, trap them and then release them into the wild.

There was some problem with the design of the cage and now we have redesigned it. We are hoping to implement this plan early next year," he assured, adding that they could not do it alone and would seek the help of the Pradeshiya Sabhas.

Attack of the monkeys
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
The loud thuds, the screeching and the crashes send out the danger alert, as people rush indoors and close their doors and windows while children cringe in fear. It's an invasion of sorts… reminiscent of the havoc wreaked by Hanuman, the Monkey King in ancient Ceylon, thousands of years ago.

"It's scary. My two daughters, aged six and 12, tremble in fright as soon as they hear the sound," says housewife Renuka Priyangani of Pahalawela Road in Talangama, scanning the treetops as she speaks.

They come in troops of 10 or 15, swinging from tree to tree, chattering and grimacing and daring any human being to challenge them. No one does. All the people in the area are besieged and will not step out, except for the one or two brave souls who throw lit crackers in a feeble attempt to frighten these animals. All to no avail.

The other day, about five or six huge monkeys sat in a row on the wall just outside Renuka's dining room, eyeing a bunch of bananas on the fridge. "We were helpless," laments Renuka, adding that two types of monkeys visit the area almost daily - the large grey one and the smaller brown one. "Viriththa, viriththa api diha balan hitiya."
One day her family had watched in amazement through the window, as the monkeys grabbed young kurumba, bit through the top and drank the sweet water, just like humans.

"Then they threw down the empty kurumbas, all the while staring at us."
The trail of destruction after these lightning raids leaves people wringing their hands in despair. All the large trees such as lavulu, butterfruit, beli, mango, rambuttan, waraka, tamarind, amberella and even coconut are stripped bare and the leaves and branches torn up. The tiles on the roofs are broken, lights are damaged and flower pots left in pieces.

"We have not been able to enjoy a single fruit from our garden," says Srikantha de Silva dubbing the monkeys a "real nuisance". Like their human counterparts, these simian creatures also bring their squabbles out into the open. "They fight ferociously amongst themselves," adds Mrs. de Silva, explaining that when they bring their babies wrapped around their stomachs one needs to be wary.

The facilities in the area also fall victim to these gangs of roaming monkeys. "The other day they were swinging on the telephone lines and down came the wires causing a communication breakdown. We were helpless," says Mr. de Silva. Some people have even had the rogue monkeys creeping into their homes and running away with clothes. "They had stolen the shirts and trousers of a boy," says Mrs. de Silva.

In this rainy season, the monkeys have doubled the problems of W.D. Nandaseeli, who lives in a home with a takarang roof. They jump about and destroy whatever is in sight and leave. "Only when the rains started did we realize that they had damaged our roof to such an extent that the kitchen was flooded," she says angrily.

Iqbal Jafferjee adds that about a year ago he had to replace all the tiles on his roof at a tremendous cost because of these pests. "They coolly walk into the house. One Sunday, my wife was upstairs making the bed when she had this uncanny feeling that someone was watching her. She turned round and who do you think was looking her up and down? It was a monkey. They are very bold."

“For a short while they stopped coming. This was after one little fellow got electrocuted," says Mr. Jafferjee wondering what to do. He has tried many things even appealing to the zoo, but their suggestion had been for the residents to catch the monkeys and bring them over to the zoo.

"The other day my neighbour phoned me and asked me whether I was on the planet of the apes because my roof was like a meeting place for these creatures," says Mr. Jafferjee. For the beleaguered people of this area, it seems apt - for they are at the mercy of the monkeys, day in day out, morning and evening.

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