On April 19, Sri Lanka verified the news that a Chinese firm associated with the Zoological Gardens has urged to import 100,000 endangered monkeys from the nation.
Protesting the decision, many environmental groups have also opposed it. The request was done to the Ministry of Agriculture, as per Gunadasa Samarasinghe, a prime administrator in the ministry.
“We will not give the complete 100,000 in one slot. But we acknowledged the request because of the crop damage done by the monkeys in many parts of the country.
They will not be taken from conserved areas. The concentration will just be in the cultivation areas,” Samarasinghe told reporters.
The Agreement And The Concerns
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The agreement has given birth to worries regarding the animals and the effect on their endangered status, also the ethics of their utilization in research and other purposes.
It is also noteworthy that Sri Lanka is experiencing economic challenges, which might have played a role in the judgment to acknowledge the agreement.
Monkeys have been a reason for disputes in Sri Lanka because of their nature of destroying crops and conquering villages in search of food, which can result in human-wildlife disputes.
Sri Lanks puts a break over about every animal export but the offered sale comes at a time when the nation is experiencing its worst-ever economic crisis.
The Toque Macaques
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In the middle of the economic crisis, an introductory report regarding crop damage resulting from wild animals in Sri Lanka has shown that toque macaques and giant squirrels are accountable for damaging coconut crops.
At the same time, wild boars, and peafowl damages the paddy fields. The reports have calculated that this crop damage resulted in a financial loss of about 30,215 million Sri Lankan rupees ($87.5 million) in the first half of the last year.
The toque macaque monkey, which is native to Sri Lanka, is identified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list.
The toque macaque is very popular to destroy crops in various parts of Sri Lanka, and also sometimes attacks people.
Last week, on Wednesday (April 12), Sri Lanka’s agriculture minister, Mahindra Amaraweera, revealed that the Chinese firm’s request for 100,000 endangered monkeys was planned for supplying to more than 1,000 zoos in China.
The Committee For Sale
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Amaraweera also disclosed that a committee has been set up to interrogate the request and make an offer for the probable sale.
This committee may take into consideration the worries that were popped up by environmental groups and conservationists regarding the welfare of the monkeys and the probable negative influence on the species’ population.
The minister was cited as saying, “They want these monkeys for their zoos.”