Sri Lanka is home to nearly 5.2 million toque macaques — roughly one for every four people in the country, according to data from the countrywide wildlife census presented to Parliament yesterday (26.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, presenting the findings to the House, said the census held on March 15 estimated the toque macaque population at 5,197,517. The survey also revealed that there were 1,747,623 langur monkeys, 4,285,745 peacocks and 2,666,630 giant squirrels.
The census was conducted simultaneously across the country to identify animals that damage food crops and to develop suitable mitigation measures. Karunaratne said about 50% of the information provided by the public during the exercise had been verified. “Accordingly, the committee responsible for recommendations decided to consider 50% of the survey data as reliable,” he noted.
The Deputy Minister dismissed claims that the exercise had cost more than Rs. 70 million. “The official expenditure was Rs. 3.916 million,” he told Parliament, adding that the survey was aimed at developing a scientific policy response to protect farmers from crop losses.
He also said the census had not been conducted in six Grama Niladhari divisions of Delft Island, Jaffna, as the animals under study were not found there.
