PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) officials said on Wednesday that it will conduct a three-day monkey-catching drive across the city beginning on April 9 in response to increasing complaints about monkey nuisance in several localities.
Speaking of the upcoming drive, the senior veterinary officer Dr Varun Agarwal said that the monkeys will be relocated and released into designated forest areas in coordination with the Forest department. “The capture and relocation process will follow humane handling protocols to ensure the animals are not harmed during the operation,” he said.
To ensure transparency and monitoring, the contractor, assigned with the project, has been directed to submit GPS-enabled photographs of the capture activities as operational proof. “These records will be used by the Veterinary Section to verify field-level implementation and assess the effectiveness of the drive. Sanitation inspectors and supervisors have been instructed to assist the monkey-catching team during the operation. MCD’s Veterinary vehicle staff will also supervise daily field activities, coordinate with the teams and submit progress reports to the department,” he informed.
Aggarwal further said that the divisional forest officer has been requested to facilitate coordination with forest personnel to ensure proper release of captured monkeys in approved forest zones.
The civic body sources said that the initiative aims to reduce public inconvenience in affected neighbourhoods while maintaining compliance with wildlife handling norms and ensuring safe relocation of monkeys from urban areas.
