The 26 selected monkey handlers have received appointments from the Division Forest Office and have headed to the villages. They will work for two months with a monthly salary of 12,500 rupees.
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The 26 selected monkey chasers have received appointments from the Division Forest Office and have headed to the villages. Starting Sunday, they will go to 26 locations in monkey-affected areas of six local levels in the district to drive away monkeys that come into the fields to damage maize.
They will work for two months with a monthly salary of 12,500 rupees. The Forest Office had called for applications for 20 forest guards. By Friday, 76 people had applied, but as the demand increased in monkey-affected areas, the Forest Office selected 26 people on Saturday. After their appointment, they were given two hours of training and sent out.
Chief District Officer Toyanarayan Subedi requested the guards to be mindful of the right of wild animals to live and stay in their habitats. “If a wild animal dies while being chased away after damaging agricultural crops, the law does not apply at present; just record the incident and bury it there,” he said. “The job of the guards is not to kill monkeys, but to chase them away. The focus should be on protecting and securing the farmers’ crops.”
Division Forest Office Chief Narayandev Bhattarai said that the guards should coordinate with farmers, inform them by making noise if monkeys are seen entering maize fields, and work together with farmers to protect the maize.
According to Forest Office Information Officer Keshar Khadka, for two months, the guards will be responsible for regularly monitoring the movement and location of monkey groups, providing information to farmers from time to time, keeping records if monkeys damage crops, and informing the relevant ward office.
Their job will be to drive monkeys away from villages and cultivable areas towards their natural habitats. The guards have been provided with necessary materials and uniforms before being sent out.
Appointed forest guard Chandraman Shrestha said he would fulfill the responsibilities given by the Forest Office successfully. “We have been entrusted with the important responsibility of protecting farmers’ crops by relocating wild animals to safe places,” he said. “I will fulfill that. I also hope this work will help build good relations with the farmers in the village.” The Forest Office has assigned specific areas of responsibility to the 26 appointed guards.
