Experts come forward to tackle simians

NAGPUR: With monkey menace in Bharat Nagar residential area showing no signs of let up, a group of wildlife experts have come forward to catch these menacing monkeys for Rs 1500 per animal.
The group includes vet and officer-incharge of Maharajbagh Zoo, Dr SS Bawaskar, wildlife expert Kundan Hate, snake catchers SB Ukey, Laxmikant Harkare, Monu Singh and Amol Khante.The group submitted a proposal on September 18 to NMC health officer, Dr Milind Ganvir saying the monkeys are troubling residents, especially elderly citizens and children.
Speaking to TOI, Laxmikant Harkare said, ���I have caught problematic monkeys in the city many times. The group has the requisite equipment including insurance of operating team, vaccination of the working staff, tranquillising gun, medicines needed for sedation etc.���
Vijay Rakhunde, corporator from Bharat Nagar, said, ���The monkeys are creating problems. I have written to the administration but officials never visited the area. I have been told by ward officer Mahesh Morone that the NMC has sanctioned Rs 1.5 lakh for catching monkeys.���
���I had also submitted a proposal by a monkey catcher from Satara, Hyder Khan but nothing has been finalised. If wildlife experts are coming forward, it is good,��� he added.
Dr Ganvir confirmed that a wildlife expert had approached him on the issue. ���I didn���t knew that a wildlife group is ready to accept the challenge. We will look into their proposal. The amount quoted by one Khan is too high. The person who caught monkeys at airport charged Rs 1,000 per animal; while he is demanding Rs 2,000 per monkey from the NMC.���
Meanwhile, Bharat Nagar residents have demanded an immediate end to the simian problem. They complained that the cage installed by the NMC has not caught even one monkey. ���The speed with which the NMC is catching the monkeys, it will take years to solve the problem,��� says Sachin Kanojia, a resident.
Even Durga Khare, the man posted to catch the monkeys, admits that during the last two years not more than 50 monkeys have been caught and released in the forests. Sumitrabai Kosre, who had been living in Ravi Nagar slums for the past 25 years, said she had never seen such intensive movement of monkeys.