By Sri Lanka is planning the second stage of testing intrauterine devices (IUDs) on red-faced monkeys as a means of controlling their population. Farmers’ demands to cull these crop-destroying pests are growing louder.
The Agriculture Ministry has identified toque macaques, wild boars, peacocks, and giant squirrels as key pests damaging crops. Farmers are calling for air guns to protect their fields.
State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya announced the allocation of funds for farmers to acquire air rifles, and in January, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera provided air guns to farmers cultivating pineapple, pomegranate, guava, and papaya.
Researchers at Sri Lanka’s Peradeniya University are testing birth control on these mammals. Professor Ashoka Dangolla from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science said he has been working with eight monkeys. The IUDs were inserted and are X-rayed monthly. They are now ready for the next step.
“We need to capture two or three male monkeys to live with these females and see if they will mate and if the females will become pregnant,” he told EconomyNext.
In February 2023, Sri Lanka removed peacocks, grizzled giant squirrels, porcupines, wild boars, and toque macaques from a protected list.
Farmers have requested standard rifles, but the Ministry of Agriculture has provided them with air rifles to address the monkey problem. However, Amaraweera stated that if the situation worsens, standard rifles will be issued.
Controlling the monkey population through sterilization is a more humane choice, Dangolla said. But researchers face challenges, especially with limited access to funding.
