The Caribbean nation of Sint Maarten has ordered the mass killing of vervet monkeys following they routinely destroy farmers’ crops. There was a countrywide complaint that monkeys came in droves and destroyed agricultural crops when they were ripe. Officials say that this has led to a tough decision. At the same time, it has been suggested that mass killing is not right and that methods such as sterilization should be adopted to control the number of monkeys.
The Nature Foundation in Sint Maarten is responsible for the mass killing of the monkeys. The government has also allocated a special fund for this purpose. The government has proposed to kill 450 monkeys in the next three years. NGO manager Leslie Hickerson says that despite the criticism, the government has taken the right decision. He added that species management is essential to maintain the balance. Vervet monkeys are native to Southeast Africa. They arrived in the Caribbean country of Sint Maarten in the 17th century. Vervet monkeys have a brownish-grey body and a black face covered with white fur.
English Summary: Sint Maarten approves plan to destroy entire population of vervet monkeys
