Fruits of freedom: Forest dept to grow trees to make monkeys fetch own food
New Delhi: The
forest department
is planting more fruit and foliage tree species to support the growing population of monkeys at
Asola Wildlife Sanctuary
.
Currently, the department invests heavily in providing fruits and vegetables to sustain the existing
Rhesus Macaque
population. However, officials noted that to promote the species' self-sufficiency and independence, their reliance on human-provided food must be reduced. At present, the department supplies about 2,500 kg of fruits and vegetables daily at 13 feeding points within Asola.
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A significant portion of the
monkey population
in Asola consists of relocated animals. Although exact records are unavailable, at least 25,000 rhesus monkeys have been moved from various parts of the city to Asola over the past decade. These relocated monkeys, now settled and provided with food in their natural habitat, have multiplied.
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"The relocation process began around 2009. Over the years, approximately 25,000 monkeys were sent to Asola. While the forest already had a large monkey population, the relocated ones mated and increased in number. Now, Asola has a sizable monkey population that requires feeding," explained a forest official.
To ensure the monkeys have enough food, they are provided with a variety of fruits. This is to prevent them from returning to urban areas from which they were relocated. The monkeys are currently fed fresh supplies of bananas, musk melons, papaya, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and seasonal fruits like guava. The forest department collaborates with Mother Dairy to supply the 2,500 kg of fruits delivered daily at feeding points.
Although the relocation continues, officials are also planting more suitable tree species to support the monkeys' natural diet. "The monkeys are often caught by MCD or rescued and, after treatment, are released in Asola. To ensure they adapt to their natural surroundings, we are planting a mix of ridge, foliage, and fruit-bearing trees, including amla, goolar, sehtoot, desi babool, kusum, guava, lasoda, kathal, bistendu, dhak, aam, and bel," an official said.
While the department did not disclose the exact cost of feeding the monkeys, an estimate in 2015 suggested the monthly expense to be around Rs 8 lakh.
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