Where do monkeys get audacity to bite people?

Monkeys at City Park on June 7, 2021.[File,Standard] The usual human/wildlife conflict cases involving elephants, leopards, hippos, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles or lions have taken a break as conflict between humans and monkeys take centre stage. That monkeys now bite humans and cause bodily harm is surreal. Yet 15 cases of bloody monkey attacks have been reported in Trans-Nzoia, in the last two months. Cases of monkeys biting people go beyond Kenya. Less than a week ago, an unstoppable monkey attacked a woman at a shopping mall in India, and snatched her shoe after climbing onto her head, pulling her hair and biting her. On January 9, in Japan, a monkey bit a man as he enjoyed an afternoon jog. In an article published by "The Conversation" in January 2024, a primate expert links such monkey attacks to over-habituation. The expert describes 'habituation' as "a process used by researchers to gain animals' trust" for ease of following and recording of their behaviour. It feels like drawing them closer so you can study them with ease. But the expert says some, like squirrels (or monkeys in the tropics) in city parks, become unintentionally habitual after getting accustomed to handouts. With time, such monkeys become entitled and more aggressive. The Trans-Nzoia cases have, however, been linked to environmental degradation, as a nearby forest is destroyed. Amid hard economic times, monkey bites and possible resultant diseases are an unwelcome thought. It is not clear whether harm caused by monkeys qualifies for compensation by government. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), over "60 per cent of Africa's rural populations live in close proximity to wildlife habitats". This makes them more vulnerable to human/wildlife conflict. A 2024 "Living Planet Report" by WWF shows a "76 per cent decline in average size of African wildlife population in just 50 years", blamed on human population rise, land use for agriculture, besides climate change. A Kenya Wildlife Service 2024 - 2028 Strategic Plan highlighted "settlements into wildlife habitats" as fanning intensified human-wildlife conflict, besides climate change. More than 10,000 cases of human-wildlife conflict were recorded in 2023 alone, with elephants taking nearly 70 per cent of crop and property destruction. But how do we reduce monkeys' need to venture into homes? This necessitates a multi-thronged policy-backed approach. Drought has been a reason pre-existing water sources dry up, causing wildlife to migrate beyond protected areas in search of food and water. This cannot be ruled out in the case of Trans-Nzoia, where despite visible deforestation, there could be an influx of newly migrated monkeys. While this remains speculation, discontinuing deforestation is critical. Trouble could also be increased disturbance, as humans settle closer to the forest, or it is cleared for agricultural land, disturbing the local ecosystem. The wild animals may be changing behaviour due to multiple reasons. In Uganda's Murchison Falls, for instance, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project has necessitated creation of a tarmac road in the forest, increasing noisy vehicular activity and disturbing the animals that enjoyed the hitherto sanctuary. Now there are more cases of stray elephants in nearby villages. Human activities that touch animals' watering holes, or newly planted trees that displace traditional grazing lands may cause livestock-wildlife competition for water, increasing the risk of the conflict. Communities must be involved in manning the forests. Even as government and conservationists are pushed to strengthen policies and compensation mechanisms for victims of monkey attacks, local communities' livelihoods must be enhanced, and more education to eliminate their appetite for felling trees done. The ability to coexist harmoniously with monkeys is a kind of happiness worth pursuing. The writer champions climate justice. Lynnno16@gmail.com

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