With incidents of monkey-human conflict on the rise across Assam, the state government is preparing to conduct a comprehensive census of the monkey population before launching a pilot sterilisation programme in identified conflict hotspots.
The initiative follows a recent visit by an Assam delegation to Himachal Pradesh, where officials studied one of India’s longest-running monkey sterilisation programmes. Introduced in 2006, the Himachal initiative has sterilised more than 1.86 lakh monkeys and is credited with significantly reducing the macaque population and related conflicts.
According to official sources, Assam’s Forest Department will first undertake a statewide survey to estimate the monkey population and identify areas most severely affected by monkey-related disturbances. The findings will form the basis for a pilot sterilisation project in selected locations.
Monkey raids have become a serious concern in both rural and urban Assam. In villages, macaques frequently destroy crops, seedlings and fruit-bearing plants, causing heavy losses to farmers. In several areas, repeated raids have reportedly forced cultivators to abandon farming altogether. Urban residents have also faced problems, with monkeys invading homes and shops, damaging gardens and infrastructure, and occasionally attacking people and pets.
Officials said the proposed programme would initially be implemented on a pilot basis in a few identified hotspots. Based on the results, the government will decide whether to expand the initiative across the state.
BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia, who was part of the delegation that visited Himachal Pradesh, said the government was taking the issue seriously. He noted that two sterilisation centres could be established for the pilot project and added that the delegation had also recommended relocating monkeys to states where their population is comparatively low.
The move comes after legal changes under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, which removed the rhesus macaque from Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act. Despite the change, the Assam Forest Department is expected to lead the sterilisation programme, given its expertise in wildlife management.