India's Monkey Business

Originally published on Desicritics on 11/2/07

When animals are endangered we take immediate notice. But recently I had to smile a bit, perhaps wryly, that those endangered were not mammals such as Asiatic Lions, vultures or River Dolphins but human beings. “Man Dies, Attacked by Monkeys in Delhi” “Tourist’s Spectacles Stolen by Monkey” “Monkey Business in Indian Airport” “Monkey Man with Iron Claws.” On and on, reports of huge numbers of monkeys in Delhi, perhaps more than twenty thousand, on the rampage. Stealing, snatching, entering dwellings, acting so aggressively that in spite of a reverence for the monkeys, people were picking up sticks and stones, even swords to drive them off, ward off the pests. Even tourists were endangered! My goodness, please not that! Such monkey business gets the attention of journalists, it makes interesting press. We read and shake our heads and smile and think, oh well, yes there is a problem but what can we do anyway?

I read also that a high Indian official had banned the export and sale of monkeys to the United States because the treatment they received had violated the agreements for how monkeys were to be handled. Some reports stated that twenty thousand Indian monkeys a year had been shipped for medical research purposes, such as the development of Polio vaccine. Now exportation was to stop. No more monkeys to be sold, at high cost, to the States.

What is the solution to this overpopulation problem of monkeys? Avenues for addressing the problem have been suggested by researchers but are then quickly dismissed. No killing of monkeys because of religious beliefs, Hanuman, and respect for monkeys in India! Removing and taking so many monkeys to remote areas was impossible and too costly and involved risks to humans and monkeys alike. Introduce larger Langurs which would chase them away; no, this only multiplies the problem. Birth control measures for monkeys would be difficult to administer and involve risks, moreover, would be costly and the drug’s effectiveness wears off unless consistent measures are applied. Sterilization of large populations of monkeys seemed difficult because of the lack of appropriate technologies to administer to so many animals safely, such as in tablet form. Injections require capture, sedation and risks to handlers. Status quo; no killing, no way to prevent monkey births, no way to sterilize and no way to sell them to an eager market. (It will take five years before the breeding facilities in the States will be able to supply the annual demand for monkeys for research and medical development.) Sounds grim.

Perhaps there is hope, however; in drugs which could be inserted into food and given to monkeys that could sterilize them. So far there does not appear to be any such drug available. Implants and injections are used widely for sterilization, but orally administered drugs have not been developed and used as far as I can ascertain. Could it be developed and administered safely and not cause a social problem? So many aspects of our environment are controlled, actively and passively by new inventions. Why not invent a safe sterilization agent to help solve the monkey problem? Actions need to be taken because there are possible serious health issues involved in the monkey and human interaction equation. In such cases science could inform politics.

The latest National Geographic Magazine, October 2007 has an excellent article by David Quammen, “Deadly Contact”, discussing zoonosis. Briefly, zoonosis means, “animal disease” and in this article it refers to such diseases in animals which jump to humans, “when pathogens leap”. Ebola Virus, SARS, HIV and even Monkey Pox are horrific diseases that ‘leap’ from animal populations to human beings with terrible consequences. Quammen makes the point that it takes certain viruses to leap across species barriers and they evolve quickly and are...”unaffected by antibiotics, they can be elusive, they can be versatile and they can inflict extremely high rates of mortality, and they are fiendishly simple.” He points out that close contact ... “between two species represents opportunity for a pathogen to expand its horizon and possibilities.” Pathogens take risks for the “big payoff”. Pathogens do not literally jump from one species to another; they are transported, carried by animals to people who contact animals in intimate ways. (I can hear the rattle of the small hand-held drum on the top of a stick announcing dholna that the monkey wallah is going to put on a show. Or is it the man with the dancing bear?) Intimate contact, prolonged intimate contact between animal species enhances the opportunity for viral transfer.

Many deadly viruses have been involved in Zoonosis in Africa where very intimate contacts were made with monkeys and apes. Very intimate simian contact! People ate them. Bush meat is one means many Africans have to get animal protein. The monkey or ape meat is not always thoroughly cooked; the meat is handled with no regard for hygiene. Live animals, particularly baby animals, are kept when their mothers are slaughtered, especially apes and monkeys.

I was surprised by one thing that was emphasized in Quammen’s article. Bats! Bats can carry deadly diseases such as the Hendra virus. Certain bats carry and die of rabies but can pass this deadly disease to other animals such as cows, dogs or directly to people. Hendra, the newly discovered viral disease is deadly. Bats, fruit bats, chimgadar, hang around in colonies and leave droppings of feces and urinate on grasses and leaves. Other animals such as cattle, birds and monkeys ingest feces and become infected. People eat the infected animals, or get into close touching contact with them and become infected. Many people eat with their hands, and many do not thoroughly wash before eating after handling dead animals. Africa has had tremendous problems with the spread of deadly disease through human contact with animals, particularly monkeys and apes.

Monkeys are a really big problem in India and their close and frequent contact with people creates a situation that may be optimal for zoonosis, that is, if a given virus is present at the right time that allows pathogens to make that crucial leap. The problem, monkeys, is multiplying rapidly without control; good sources of food are available, human food, often provided by kind ‘faithful’ people. Bandar log are becoming more aggressive and their fear of humans has diminished so they encroach intimately.

It is not just the nuisance factor of having too many monkeys around too many human beings. It is a matter of public health and safety. Solutions to the monkey problem can be found through scientific means. It is a matter of using reasoned care for precious human populations by India’s leaders, informed by researchers and public health workers. This is a problem that will only get worse. Monkey business is serious business.