The Monkey menace

I’m sad to express thes thought on monkeys in the context of the present debate. As children we use to love them. They were so cute, cunning and funny We used to watch their antics for hoursToday things have changed. The monkey population has exploded and they have become a threat to humans.. They destroy plantations, feeding on most crops. A coconut estate owner told me half her crop was eaten by monkeys Another woman said her banana grove was destroyed one night by an invading tribe of monkeys. We hear so much of such destruction with no solution so fat to this problem. Shooting them is forbidden by law. Culling will be viewed with horror by Buddhists, animal lovers and people unaffected by the problem.

The government has at last come up with some sort of solution. Pack them off to China! There are many arguments against the proposal. One is that they’ll end up in the pot. Why should we worry about that when we eat many kinds of meat; some don’t, me included, but that does not mean that we should condemn meat eaters. It is their choice. Others urge they’ll be used for medical experiments. To me that’s a win-win situation. Our bankrupt state gets some money and crops will be saved. The scientists will get near human specimens for their experiments and that will help advance the cause of human health.

We who eat the flesh of cows that give milk without any qualms, should not look with jaundiced eyes at those who eat other meat. I know many will disagree with me bu I’m looking at the problem objectively.

Padmini Nanayakkara