NGO uses software to track feeding of monkeys at pilgrim town Sholinghur

“A group of volunteers in Sholinghur has been hired to feed the monkeys. They are supposed to record the elevation of the hill and identify the monkey that is fed. The video and pictures would be uploaded daily on the food bank server for effective monitoring. Curd rice, banana and roasted bengal gram are provided daily,” said a member of the Food Bank. 

He added that this was being done to ensure that every grain that is donated to them is monitored to ensure zero pilferage. Since lockdown began, devotees of the Sholinghur Narasimha Perumal and Anjaneya temples rued that local monkeys were starving. This caught the NGO’s attention. “So, we started the programme with a software having index numbers to track the monkeys and their daily feed routine. The altitude of the monkeys was also captured,” the Food Bank member said. 

However, wildlife enthusiasts claimed the move was not welcome as that would domesticate monkeys and also invite a simian menace like in Delhi. 

“The NGOs should focus on planting fruit-bearing trees on these hills so that monkeys which adapt to junk food offered by pilgrims will slowly switch over to natural eating habits,” said wildlife conservationist K Brinda of Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Tiruchy. 

The long-term solution should be creating a green corridor that would enrich the biodiversity, benefit monkeys and sustain other local wildlife, she added.