Do Not Feed Monkeys

Monkeys being fed in the Parks etc  in Quest for Earning 'Punya'

Morning Walkers at City forest park in the vicinity of Saket , have reported that monkeys are being fed regularly in the Park by people in the quest of earning 'punya'. Little do they know that this superstition of humans is doing them more harm than good. They are also facilitating the harming of other fellow humans and valuable property by monkey raids in our colonies. Around 60-80 monkeys frequent this 'City Forest Park' where people from neighbouring Saket area take a morning walk.

Monkeys habituated of being fed by humans regularly raid the houses and the refrigerators to find food. They also damage valuable property and even bite humans regularly. Monkey bite is dangerous and even leads to death in many cases. Even if death is avoided , one has to suffer innumerous injections and the persons' health and immune system deteriorates for life. Monkeys are highly susceptible to diseases from human hands. They can die from bacteria transferred off our hand that has no ill effect on us. Migration to human-populated areas to be fed increases the risk of dog attacks and road accidents too. Irregular feeding leads to an aggressive behavior towards humans and other species. Contrary to the stereotype, bananas are not the preferred food of monkeys in the wild, and bananas, especially those containing pesticides, can be upsetting to the monkeys’ delicate digestive system and cause serious dental problems that can lead to eventual death.

Feeding also creates a dangerous dependency on humans that diminishes the monkeys’ survival abilities. It interferes with the monkeys’ natural habits and upsets the balance of their lifestyle centred on eating wild fruits, seeds and insects.

Monkeys need to travel an average of 17 kilometers each day to be in good physical condition. If they know that food is available in a particular location, they will not leave that area. Not only do we pass on diseases to animals when we feed them by hand, but they can pass diseases to us as well.

The monkeys do not realize any of this, but you do!! Through this column , the perturbed residents request the people feeding monkeys, not to feed them . "Don’t facilitate the extinction of one of Nature’s most amazing creatures for your own financial gain and 'punya' gain . Please help save the monkeys by reporting anyone feeding the monkeys. If you are feeding the monkeys, you now know why you should stop."