Ways to deal with the situation
While most animals live in designated areas for wild animals such as sanctuaries, quite a few continue to live and thrive around us. Dogs, cats and monkeys are examples of these. But in spite of their proximity to us, we must remember that at the end of it, they are wild animals. They may not be as dangerous to us as leopards or snakes or crocodiles, but are nevertheless capable of causing considerable harm.
Stray dogs tend to move in small groups usually minding their own business and scavenging for food littered around. However, they can and do turn aggressive occasionally, often with disastrous consequences. While even a dog-bite is a painful and traumatic experience, there have been cases of these groups mauling an individual to death.
Similarly, troops of monkeys that are now frequently seen in our area usually do not attack us. But then, they do end up damaging our homes, terraces and other areas. Also, as they are not normally afraid of humans, they can suddenly attack us if they feel threatened.
Especially susceptible are children and senior citizens, because either they may not be able to react in an appropriate way, or react and retreat fast enough. Furthermore, not just the injury they cause, both dogs and monkeys are carriers of life-threatening diseases like rabies.
The law is very clear that we cannot force these animals away, and that they have as much right as we have to live, yet there are certain things we can do to prevent any mishaps. One is that authorities must be pursued vigorously to carry out sterilization to prevent their proliferation. Secondly, we should not litter at all, as it is this which attracts these animals. Furthermore, law clearly states that while we can feed them, it must be in areas where children and senior citizens do not routinely go. This means, they must not be fed in parks or outside someone’s home if they object.
For monkeys too, keeping religious sentiments aside, we should not feed them, as this would invite even more monkeys. This is especially risky, as monkeys are highly intelligent and once they discover an easy source of food, they will not only come more frequently, but also larger numbers.
Stray animals can be a menace, but we as residents of this colony can ensure that its possible to co-exist safely, simply by following rules and making sure there is cleanliness around us. Also, while many of us may be sympathetic to these wild animals, we must recognize that these stray animals do elicit fear amongst many residents and we must respect the sentiments of all concerned.
