The most difficult problem that India's forest, human habitation and wildlife managers are currently dealing with is rhesus monkey management. Rhesus Monkeys are important to culture, science, and the economy, yet they are also a major annoyance in modern society. Due to the human interference by serving food to them on the roadside of forests, around temples, worship them, there is drastic changes in their feeding habits due to now availability of easily accessible and delicious food in the human habitations. Among other species of Monkeys in India, only the Rhesus Macaque is not having fear of humans or facing any threat from human. Due to getting easily available food in and around human habitations, they are continuously migrating in troops from forests to urban, semi-urban and rural human habitats damaging crops, orchards and creating so many nuisance by their activities to humans. Today, the conflict between humans and Rhesus monkeys has grown significantly in most of the states of Northern India in and around human habitations. The various practices used for the management of human-monkey conflicts involves the use of bioacoustics, which creates distress noise and scares away the monkeys, vaccinations, immunocontraceptives, sterilization to stop the increase of the rhesus monkey population, live/appropriate fence to protect agricultural crops and orchards, oral contraceptives may be provided with food will be one of the future management options, among other measures, but none of the measures had given fruitful results to resolve the problem. As the Human-Monkey Conflict is mainly due to human interference by feeding them, therefore there is urgent need to follow do’s and don’ts by humans in and around Rhesus Monkeys natural habitats or in human habitations in India, immediately to stop feeding/serving them with any kind of food materials, to develop slight fear among them, so that they will move towards their natural habitats for feeding, breeding and survival. The study indicates that the Rhesus Macaque populations those living in their natural habitats in the protected areas in India are living in the harmony of Nature, having balanced population, surviving and no threat to anyone.

Rhesus Macaque, Issues, Solution, Management, India

The human-monkey conflict in India presents a multifaceted challenge that demands careful management strategies. The long-term issues related to Macaca mulatta in India encompass human-monkey conflicts, rabies transmission, and urban adaptation challenges. While monkeys hold cultural and scientific significance, their increasing presence in urban and rural areas poses various problems ranging from crop damage to public safety concerns. Addressing this conflict requires a combination of proactive and reactive measures. Preventive measures such as discouraging the feeding of monkeys in public areas, enhancing their natural habitats, and using optimal foraging theory to guide habitat management can help mitigate the conflict. Additionally, techniques like the use of langurs to deter monkeys, employing monkey calls, and constructing live fences can provide temporary relief. Long-term solutions involve research into in-situ sterilization to control monkey populations without resorting to more drastic measures like culling or export. Wildlife SOS provides rescue services for distressed monkeys, highlighting the need for better animal management and public education to mitigate these issues. Despite challenges like the use of langurs, efforts by organizations like Wildlife SOS focus on rescue, treatment, and education to combat human-monkey conflicts. The Indian government has taken several initiatives to address the issues related to Macaca mulatta such as sterilization programs for population control, declaring macaques as "vermin", translocation of problem macaques, habitat creation, waste management, public education, bioacoustics to deter monkeys, immunocontraceptive vaccines and protective fencing for agriculture. These strategies aim to minimize crop raiding, property damage, and financial losses caused by macaques, especially in urban and agricultural areas. Additionally, the visibility of macaques in agroecosystems affects human-macaque relationships, potentially leading to negative perceptions and actions against the species. Over time, sustained conflict may disrupt local ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and agricultural sustainability in affected regions. Implementing guards in agricultural settings, planting buffer crops, and educating the public on not feeding monkeys are practical approaches to reduce conflict and promote co-existence. The outcomes of government initiatives to address Macaca mulatta issues in India are mixed and indicate a need for more comprehensive and effective strategies. Despite sterilization efforts in states like Himachal Pradesh, the behavior of sterilized monkeys has changed, necessitating the establishment of monkey shelter homes. The Delhi government has expressed helplessness in addressing the monkey menace due to ineffective sterilization and a shortage of monkey catchers, highlighting the lack of clear strategies to mitigate the conflict. Translocation of problem macaques in urban areas has been employed as a non-lethal solution to human-macaque conflicts, but this requires keeping the animals in captivity for a long time, which may trigger behavioral changes and make them susceptible to diseases. The creation of suitable habitats for macaques in states like Odisha, Kerala, and Telangana is underway, but the lack of mechanisms to assess the impact of these initiatives hinders the evaluation of their effectiveness. If the humans will not disturb them, stopped providing them easy food, stop occupying their natural habitats, they are happy to live for their survival in their preferred habitats natural forests like other Primates species. The human interference is clear threat to Rhesus Macaque, the humans themselves responsible for the problems or issues they are facing currently due to movement of Rhesus Macaque. Stop Feeding Rhesus Macaque, don't throw household food materials in open dumping yard in the village, town/city, the easy food made them habitual to move fearless in human habitation, develop minor fear to them from human, stop entertaining, the problem of Rhesus Macaque will slowly resolve. However, the feasibility and ethical implications of these methods need thorough consideration. Ultimately, fostering coexistence between humans and monkeys requires understanding monkey behavior and respecting their space while implementing sustainable management strategies that safeguard both human interests and wildlife conservation. By adopting a holistic approach that balances ecological, social, and ethical considerations, in India we can strive towards peaceful and sustainable cohabitation with its primate inhabitants.

Sharma, Gaurav and Singh, Ankit Kumar (2025). Rhesus Macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) issues and Solution in India- a case Study of Human-wildlife Interface Management. International Journal of Theoretical & Applied Sciences, 17(1), 09-14.