The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to provide practical recommendations to the Himachal government for addressing the issues of the monkey menace and stray dogs in the State.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel noted that these two problems have persisted in the State for an extended period, causing difficulties for its citizens.
The Court’s order stated, “Animal Welfare Board of India under the control of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying), shall give practical suggestions to the State of Himachal Pradesh regarding control of the Monkey menace and also the stray dogs menace.”
The State’s Advocate General, Anup Rattan, also assured the Court that the government and the Municipal Corporation in Shimla would collaborate with the Agriculture University’s veterinary branch in Palampur to address these issues.
The division bench has scheduled further consideration of the matter for September 18.
This directive was passed in a series of petitions, including a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) focusing on the monkey menace in the State, especially in its capital, Shimla.
Previously, the Court had advised authorities to seek guidance from other organizations like the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, which was reported to have achieved relative success in mitigating the monkey menace.
