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Himachal Pradesh to sterilise 65,000 monkeys
SHIMLA: A state government in northern India has announced plans to sterilise tens of thousands of monkeys after complaints from farmers that the animals are destroying their crops.Thousands of farmers and activists gathered outside the state legislature of Himachal PradeshÂ’s capital Shimla this week to demand action from the government. "We now plan to operate on 65,000 monkeys in urban areas of the state," said the state Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur late on Thursday. After sterilisation, the monkeys will be observed for five days before being released again. The government is training veterinarians for this massive sterilisation programme. Thakur did not say how long the sterilisation scheme would take. There are more than 300,000 monkeys in the state, up from an estimated 60,000 in 1985, according to government figures. Wildlife experts say monkeys come into conflict with humans when their natural habitat in forests is destroyed. Posted by: John Frum 2007-04-06 |
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