Urban wildlife syndrome catching up in monkeys: Wildlife NGO head

“The readily available food that the macaques get does not do much good for the animal,” said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS regarding the condition of monkeys in the country.

December 14 is observed as Monkey Day worldwide to raise awareness about the ecological significance of primates and the challenges they face.

Human-primate conflict has become a significant conservation concern in India, where urbanisation and deforestation have brought primates into closer proximity to human settlements. “Of the 22 primate species found in the country, some, like the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and the grey langur (Semnopithecus entellus), have adapted to living in urban areas. However, this adaptation has created friction, as these animals often raid garbage bins and snatch food from people leading to retaliatory actions, “ Wildlife SOS CEO said.

He highlighted the negative consequences of urbanisation on primate behaviour. “It causes hormonal imbalance, increases stress, and modifies their behaviour and reproductive patterns. This can commonly be termed as the urban wildlife syndrome,” he said.

“With their natural habitats shrinking, monkeys are forced into human-dominated areas, leading to dangerous situations such as getting stuck on electric poles, barbed wires, and nets, or being involved in vehicular accidents,” he rued.

Rhesus macaques are a common sight in cities like Delhi, Agra, Vadodara, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Varanasi. “These areas offer easy access to food, often from garbage bins or direct feeding by humans. Unfortunately, this dependency has long-term implications for the health and behaviour of these primates,” he added.

Wildlife SOS, a conservation organisation, rescues hundreds of rhesus macaques every year from distressing situations in cities like Delhi, Agra, and Vadodara.

Geeta Seshamani, co-founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS, said, “These instances show how fragile their situation is, and how much encroachment can impact the lives of these primates. We always urge people to contact our rescue helplines if they see any monkey in distress. It is our primary goal to ensure and promote co-existence between humans and wild animals.”