Mission Bonnet Macaque: Kerala’s Sterilisation Plan Explained
Why in the news
Facing crop losses and more clashes between people and wildlife, Kerala’s forest department is readying a large sterilisation drive for bonnet macaques.
Key facts
- Animal: bonnet macaque, a primate endemic to South India.
- Agency: Kerala Forest Department.
- Plan: Mission Bonnet Macaque, a 10-point strategy on human-animal conflict.
- Components: population control by sterilisation, and eco-tourism waste management where monkeys eat leftover food.
Conservation status
| Listing | Status |
|---|---|
| Wildlife Protection Act | Schedule I; any such intervention needs central permission |
| IUCN | Vulnerable, because the population is falling |
Population control must balance conservation priorities with solving the conflict.
Exam angle
- Mission name: Mission Bonnet Macaque (10-point strategy).
- Legal schedule: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
- IUCN category: Vulnerable.