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‘Monkeying’with the monkeys
View(s):Monkeysare threatening to become a nuisance to tourists visiting the Sacred City of Anuradhapura.
Story and pix by Karuwalagaswewa Jayarathna
Tourists, including those of foreign origin are partly responsible for this situation as they are in the habit of feeding the animals and this has led to large numbers of them congregating at the sites.
“There have been instances where the monkeys have injured visitors while trying to grab food offered to them”, said Ruwan Sirimevan who is employed as a tour guide in the area.
He said while local tourists are aware of the danger of getting too close to the monkeys, foreign tourists try to pet the simians and could be vulnerable to attack.
He said the authorities should make efforts to create awareness among visitors regarding the dangers of attempting to feed and approach the animals.
 Monkey see, monkey do? A monkey deticks its friend |  Monkeys tend to scavenge for food discarded by visitors |
 From early morning monkeys congregate in the Sacred City sites awaiting tid bits from visitors |  Local visitors being aware of the danger of by getting too close to the monkeys, tend to keep their distance |
 Authorities should create awareness of the dangers of getting too close to the simiens |  Foreign tourists are in the habit of feeding the monkeys. |
 Tourists feeding these denizens of the wild have encouraged them to gather in large numbers at tourist sites |  Hold the pose… |