Worried by monkey nuisance, Baglung local level to build 'monkey garden'

Two local levels of Baglung district have come up with a novel idea to control monkey menace and stray dogs.

As for Baglung Municipality, it will build a dog hostel, while at another local level, Jaimini Municipality construct a garden for monkey. They have announced the plan in their budget, policies and programmes for the next fiscal year, 2023/24. Baglung Municipality has allocated Rs 1.5 million to construct a dog hostel.

The municipality has adopted a policy of controlling and tending stray dogs by building a dog hostel, said the municipality deputy mayor Raju Khadka. People can also take stray dogs to raise from the hostel, he said.

"We have, in coordination with the Livestock Office, sterilised and vaccinated stray dogs against rabies. We aim to reduce the number of stray dogs to zero," he said. A dog hostel is expected to reduce the number of stray dogs, thus reducing road accidents and rabies infection, he said. The municipality will bear all expenses on keeping stray dogs in the proposed dog hostel.

For those who want to keep dogs should get their dogs registered with the municipality, get registration renewal and have their dogs vaccinated against rabies. The municipality has swung into this move acting on complaints that stray dogs have created problems.

Data collection of stray dogs in the district headquarters is underway, said the municipality mayor Basanta Kumar Shrestha.

Similarly, Rs 3.5 million has been allocated to construct a garden for monkey. For the project, Jaimini Municipality has set aside Rs 1 million, and the Gandaki provincial government Rs 1.5 million.

"The municipality is one of the local levels affected by monkeys. Monkey menace is increasing in the municipality. This is due to the migration of monkey. The local level has a policy to build a garden for monkeys deeming it a solution," said the municipality deputy mayor Harihar Sharma, adding that 4,200 ropanis of land in the Old Village has been identified for the project.

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