Wildlife Population Surge in Sri Lanka Leads to Severe Crop Damage
Comprehensive Survey Conducted Near Farms and Residential Areas
The first comprehensive wildlife survey recently conducted in Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, found that there are more than 7 million monkeys in the country. Sri Lanka has been experiencing severe crop damage due to a sharp increase in wildlife populations.
According to Yonhap News on June 13, citing AFP, A.L. Sandika, a representative of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Agriculture, announced this to reporters in Colombo, the capital, the previous day.
At the briefing, Sandika stated, "There were some issues with the initial monkey count, so we re-examined the data and reached the final result of around 7 million monkeys." He did not mention the results for other animals. This statement came after Anton Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, expressed doubts about the monkey count last week, saying the survey had produced "unbelievable" results.
The authorities believe that, in Sri Lanka, with a population of about 21 million, some farmers may have exaggerated the number of monkeys to highlight the seriousness of crop damage caused by animals.
Previously, on March 15, a comprehensive survey was conducted by counting monkeys and peacocks appearing on farms and in residential areas for five minutes starting at 8 a.m., and recording the numbers according to a set format. The results reportedly showed that, in addition to monkeys, there were around 2.6 million giant squirrels and 4.7 million peacocks. The purpose of the survey was to identify wild animals that damage crops and to use the data for policy development.
Some have criticized the survey. Opposition lawmaker Nalin Bandara called the survey a complete failure and a waste of budget. Among government officials, there was also criticism that elephants, which are considered sacred animals and are major destroyers of key crops, were excluded from the survey, even though more than one-third of the nation's crops are damaged by wildlife.
In 2023, Sri Lanka's Minister of Agriculture proposed exporting about 100,000 monkeys to zoos in China, but the plan was scrapped due to strong opposition from environmental groups. In response, the authorities removed three species of monkeys, as well as peacocks and wild boars, from the list of protected animals and allowed them to be hunted.
Meanwhile, among the monkeys native to Sri Lanka, the toque macaque, a member of the long-tailed monkey family, is a small species with a body length of 43 to 53 centimeters. These monkeys live in groups of dozens, and as farmland expands and their habitats shrink, they damage crops and sometimes attack people. For this reason, they are considered harmful animals by Sri Lankan residents.
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