Sikkim NOW!

CUTE? Gangtokians are not used to simians among them. There was a period more than a decade back when a solitary langoor had stumbled into town and would ride on jeep bonnets and sometimes even pillion on two-wheelers. But that was solitary animal and even he passed away within months of being here. The HRD office at Tashiling always had a few monkeys prancing about, but the troop has grown substantially now and its beat extends to Hurhurey Dara down at Namnang. The HRD office already has grills and nets installed on its windows to keep the monkeys at bay but the troop turns mischievous often. No ‘serious incident’ has been reported yet, hence now would be the right time for whatever is the responsible agency to take some proactive initiative and work out an arrangement by which the presence of the troop of monkeys does not create a human-wildlife conflict. Once a conflict occurs, inhuman solutions can be expected. It will be in everyone’s interest if the issue is handled before it becomes a problem…