BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Oct 03 2015 – Barbados says it will undertake a new study of the Green Monkey population on the island.
Environment and Drainage Minister Dr. Denis Lowe said his Ministry is in the process of planning a tour of some of the island’s gullies to assess not just the monkey population but also the degradation of the land.
He said such a study would involve placing electronic devices on monkeys to track their movements.
“We will do a genuine scientific study. Monkeys don’t leave their troops and they are very territorial,” he said.
Lowe said of particular concern to him is the lack of information on the monkeys.
He said what was driving public reaction to the monkeys is the fact that the animals were encroaching on human spaces, crops and persons’ peace of mind.
“We are still not sure what impact we are having on their natural habitat, and I suspect that a lack of food and water is affecting them,” he said.
The primary source of food for monkeys is fruits such as mangoes, bananas, cashews, fat pork, while they often drink water from brooks that run through the gullies.
Lowe said that the ultimate goal of the Green Monkey study was to avoid their death, especially in light of the BDS$20 per tail bounty. He further suggested that consideration could also be given to selectively sterilising some males to slow the growth of the population.
Lowe said while part of the tour will focus on the monkey population, it will also allow officials to get a first-hand view of the state of the island’s gullies as it relates to illegal dumping, as well as to assess the biodiversity stock in the gully system.
“We also need to do a tree assessment to see how many trees are dying, and requirements for a tree replanting programme,” Lowe noted.
