With Uttarakhand itself being unable to deal effectively with the simian menace in the state, UP seems to be adding to its woes with the dumping of several monkeys.
Reports have suggested that “UP and some other states” have been sending monkeys into Uttarakhand.
“Many states are facing a monkey menace. Uttarakhand is one of them. However, it has come to light that vehicles from neighbouring states have been secretly releasing groups of monkeys into our forests in border areas in the middle of the night. I have instructed the forest department to take action,“ said state Forest Minister Dinesh Aggarwal.
He added that the state is struggling to cope with the menace, and the problem would only worsen if neighbouring states release monkeys into Uttarakhand.
According to a report in ‘Down to Earth’, the Agra City Development Authority in UP has allocated a sum of Rs 2 crore to deal with the monkey menace. Attacks by monkeys have caused crop losses worth several crores in UP.
Chief wildlife warden DVS Khati said that monkeys were being released into UP because the state was rich in forest cover.