Government is using a multipronged approach to dealing with the burgeoning green monkey population.
On Wednesday’s edition of Down To Brass Tacks on Voice Of Barbados, newly appointed chief agricultural officer Keeley Holder said a large number of the primates were being trapped but culling was unavoidable in the short term.
“In 1994 a study was done on the monkey population and the estimate was we had about 15 000 monkeys on the island and data suggests the population tends to grow about 12 per cent annually. The Barbados Wildlife Reserve removes about 1 000 monkeys annually . . . and we also have a bounty programme which is also responsible for removing a small part of the population.
“A 2010 survey indicated the population may still be around the same size but we are seeing things which are unusual where troop sizes are increasing and in some cases doubling. We need to control them and the approach has been two-fold – increased trapping, where the Wildlife Reserve has agreed to increase trapping by 50 per cent this year,” she said. (CA)
Subscribe now to our eNATION edition for the full story.
For the latest stories and breaking news updates download the Nationnews apps for iOS and Android.
