2,588 monkeys sterilised in HP

Shimla, Nov 3 (UNI) To control the monkey menace in Himachal Pradesh, as many as 2,588 monkeys, including 1,148 male and 1,440 female monkeys, have been sterilised till date.

Forest Minister J P Nadda while addressing a meeting held here today to review the progress of monkey sterilisation programme in the state said 408 monkeys had been sterilised during the last 21 days only.

Stressing upon the need to intensify the monkey sterilisation programme, he said that construction of two monkey sterilisation centres at Sastar in Hamirpur district and Gopalpur in Mandi district was in progress and added that the monkey sterilisation centre at Sastar was likely to be made functional by the end of this year.

Two more veterinary officers have been deputed to carry out the sterilisation of monkeys.

The Minister said that capturing and sterilisation of monkeys in and around Shimla (Sunni Forest Range) was in progress and added that there was a proposal to capture and sterilise monkeys from Shimla and Solan districts in the next phase.

As a policy decision, the monkeys were being released back to the place from where they were captured, he added.

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