Finding Solutions to Sri Lanka’s Macaque Monkey Challenge – By Bhanuka – eLanka Sri Lanka is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including the toque macaque (Macaca sinica), a monkey species found only on the island. However, as urban areas expand and forests shrink, human-macaque conflicts have increased. These intelligent primates often enter villages, farms, and even cities in search of food, leading to property damage and tensions with communities. Instead of focusing on drastic measures, humane and sustainable solutions can help manage the macaque population while ensuring their well-being and coexistence with humans. Understanding the Root Causes To find solutions, it is important to first understand why macaques are increasingly interacting with humans. The main reasons include: Loss of Natural Habitat – Deforestation and land development have reduced the forests where macaques naturally live. Food Availability – Improper waste disposal, temple offerings, and agricultural crops provide easy food ...
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HEC: A long-term solution for country’s sake – By Bernard Fernando In 2019, the Department of Wildlife Conservation published its policy statement in the newspapers seeking public opinion. Since the long-term proposals that the writer submitted to the department, to terminate the long drawn Human Elephant-Conflict (HEC) did not receive much response, several articles, updating the facts and proposals contained therein, were published in Sinhala and English newspapers from time to time until 2022, to mobilise the public and the relevant authorities including the Director General of Wildlife. Now, the sincere and vehement protests of the helpless farmers have come to the fore with strong media support. It is needless to say that the tragic destruction of the homes and properties of the helpless, poor farmers who make farming their sole livelihood, as well as of the crops, trees and plots of land cultivated with hard labour, has triggered great ...
The Toque Macaque: Sri Lanka’s Endangered Primate – By Bhanuka – eLanka The Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica) is a unique and highly social primate species endemic to Sri Lanka. Known for its distinctive toque-like hair pattern, this monkey plays an important ecological role in Sri Lanka’s forests and has significant cultural importance. However, due to habitat destruction and other human-induced factors, the Toque Macaque is currently listed as endangered in the Red Data Book of Sri Lanka. This article explores the key characteristics, behavior, habitat, and threats faced by this fascinating species. Key Characteristics of the Toque Macaque The Toque Macaque is a medium-sized primate, typically weighing between 4 to 8 kilograms. Its most striking feature is the crown of hair on its head, which resembles a cap or “toque,” giving the species its name. The Toque Macaque comes in three subspecies, each with slightly varying physical characteristics and regional ...
