Malaysia: Monkeys’ antics not funny

Edmund Ngo The Star 24 Sep 11;

THE sight of a large, breathing, alpha male monkey baring its teeth is enough to send chills down anyone’s spine, especially parents with small children.

Monkeys also have unique muscular structures and with lactic acid in their bodies, they have four times the strength of a grown man.

It is no wonder then that residents of Taman Ria in Ipoh jumped sky high when a large monkey and several other smaller ones were sighted at the residential area in Bercham.

To make matters worse, they have been able to escape the traps set by the State Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) officers.

The monkeys have also caused mischief by ransacking a house and leaving droppings behind for its bewildered residents.

Despite an urge to laugh at their antics, having a rogue monkey running around a residential area is not funny and certainly no ‘monkey business’.

Various news reports have mentioned monkey attacks, some in our own country, as with the devastating tragedy that befell a family in Seremban - the baby was killed by one of the primates, mistaking it for its own offspring.

In Shimla, India, a rogue monkey bit 15 people, a rogue langur caused a person to be hospitalised while another man died from monkey attacks.

In Jaipur, India, a 65-year-old man, who tried to attract a group of monkeys with food in his hand, ended up being attacked. Passers-by came to his rescue but it was too late. The man had already died from multiple bite wounds.

These cases, however, should not serve as an excuse for us to point fingers at the creature or blame it for its instinctive behaviour.

We should, instead, ask ourselves of the effect humans have on Mother Nature.

With humans encroaching into the habitats of the primates, it is no wonder that they are being forced out of their sanctuaries and to seek shelter at playgrounds and residential areas with large trees.

No doubt, residents should not worry about our primate cousins overpowering us as depicted in the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” anytime soon. Yet, such close proximity between man and animal does pose serious risks and must be stopped.

In my opinion, trapping a monkey and later releasing it into the wild is only a temporary solution to the problem.

A better measure would be to analyse and question ourselves as to why these monkeys are showing up in areas that are densely populated like Taman Ria.

Could it be that these monkeys are pets that have escaped their cages or perhaps unwanted by their owners?

If this is the case, owners must be more vigilant and must take it upon themselves to find out more about the animals they intend to keep as pets before they actually do so.

More importantly, owners should not discard their pets like some rubbish when they don’t want them. Do it responsibly.

The loss of habitat can be resolved by creating relocation programmes. We must identify suitable jungles for the monkeys to roam free.

Having said that, future developments must also take into account the possibility of encroaching into animal habitats and disturbing the fragile ecosystem.

At the end of the day, mankind need to understand its role as the ‘bigger primate’, one that has common sense and knowledge to properly manage its surroundings without bringing danger or threat of extinction to other creatures on this planet.