Just when everyone thought the spectacle couldn’t get any more absurd, in March environmental and animal rights activists in Colombo —self-proclaimed saviours of the planet—armed with their placards and slogans. Their battle cry! “Don’t kill the rilawu (Toque macaque monkeys)!”
Let’s set the record straight: no one has issued any instructions to kill any monkeys. Not a whisper, not a nudge, not even a coy wink suggesting such a thing. Not even the dreaded term ‘culling’ has been uttered. And for those who need a refresher, ‘culling’ is the policy-speak equivalent of saying, “We need to kill a bunch of animals, but let’s make it sound like we’re doing them a favour.” It’s a go-to term for policymakers, agriculturists, scientists and the like, typically trotted out to justify addressing human-wildlife conflicts by slaughtering hundreds—or thousands—of animals, all in the noble name of balance.
Rilawu cry
But back to the rilawu. There hasn’t been so much as a fleeting thought of culling the monkeys. Yet, the ever-zealous activists of Colombo weren’t about to let facts ruin their parade. Out they went in full force, turning the streets into a carnival of moral outrage, chanting and waving their signs as if the Toque macaques were moments away from extinction. Cry wolf? Oh no. Cry rilawu.
Among them was environmental activist Dr. Ajantha Perera, a female candidate who failed to secure a seat in the last General Election. She has stepped up to be a voice for the nonhuman primates- toque macaques. She vowed to preserve the rights of toque macaques- the natural capital of all environmental and animal rights activists across the globe.
Let’s be clear: the Government hasn’t decreed a rilawu genocide. Colombo is not, nor has it ever been, teetering on the edge of any type of monkey massacre, either . But judging by the high drama from Dr. Perera and her fellow environmentalists, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Toque macaques were moments away from starring in a dystopian tragedy.
Hundreds of thousands of rural farmers and their families, already struggling to make ends meet, have taken their grievances to Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister Kuragamage Don Lalkantha.
Crop raiders
The culprits? A motley crew of crop raiders, including wild elephants, monkeys, peafowls, porcupines and giant squirrels. But none match the destructive prowess of the toque macaques, whose enthusiasm for destruction is unparalleled.
These mischievous monkeys destroy an estimated 100 million coconuts annually, with overall losses climbing to over Rs. 30,000 million. Yet, the problem doesn’t stop at ruined crops. These monkeys have become increasingly hostile—not to the placard-waving activists in Colombo, of course but to the villagers living in agricultural districts such as Ampara, Anuradhapura, Moneragala, Kandy and Kurunegala.
Their complaint? Crops painstakingly cultivated—coconuts, king coconuts, paddy, vegetables, mangoes, papayas, plantains, and chillie—are under relentless attack by wild animals. But the menace doesn’t stop at the fields.
Farmers also report primates entering gardens and even homes, sometimes injuring villagers, particularly juveniles and women. “The monkeys seem to target juveniles and females,” one farmer said. These incidents have not only inflicted economic losses but also instilled fear in rural communities. Many villagers now avoid leaving their children at home unattended while working in their cultivations.
Farmer organisations across the country have described the protests—better known as ‘monkey-backups’ staged by environmentalists under the banner of protecting as sheer buffoonery. On a deeper sociological footing, however, one could classify it as a non-governmental group-aggression of primates over time spent on food and distance between resources.
The president of the Nuwara Wewa Project Joint Farmer Organisation, Ven. Rathgama Samitha Thera, voiced the frustration of farmers. “What do these environmentalists have to say about the livelihoods affected by this monkey menace? They have carried away our incomes, putting our lives in jeopardy.”
“These environmentalists, who try to stop the Government from taking measures to address the ever-increasing rilawu menace, had better come from their Colombo homes to our villages, compensate the farmers and show their compassion by taking the rilawu away from our cultivations to their cosmopolitan abodes,” said Ven. Rathgama Samitha Thera.
In short, farmer organisations have voiced a clear message to animal rights activists: “Please stop displaying your Colombo-style animal kindness to the world at the expense of the suffering of millions of people whose lives depend on crop cultivation.”
Sri Lanka has long been a safe haven for all living beings, including toque macaques, a tradition rooted in Buddhist teachings introduced by Arahant Mahinda Maha Thera. The Buddhist principle of sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta (May all beings everywhere be happy and free) has guided generations to abstain from killing animals and to extend loving-kindness to all creatures.
Naturally, the people of this country would expect environmentalists to keep their voices down about their commitment and contribution to animal welfare. Led by the Buddhist clergy, Sri Lankans have done more for the protection of animals than any modern movement in the world – preserving wildlife for centuries.
It is no surprise under these circumstances that the populations of wild animals such as toque macaques, giant squirrels, porcupines, and pea fowls have more than doubled over the years. While conservationists raise alarms when an elephant or two die due to incidents such as electrocution, the Department of Wildlife reports that the elephant population has grown significantly—from 5,600 to over 7,000—without notable intervention by animal rights activists.
According to a research paper published in the International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), attacks by toque macaques on humans are more frequent than those by Sri Lanka’s other two diurnal monkey species—the purple-faced langur (Semnopithecus vetulus) and the gray langur (Semnopithecus priam thersites).
However, it is worthwhile to ask how Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Lal Kantha came to be labelled an ‘enemy of rilawu’. This curious title stems from the selective narrative spun by environmentalists, who have launched a vociferous campaign to defend the rights of these monkeys.
Ongoing dispute
One could argue that the minister had taken a partial stance in addressing the ongoing dispute between humans and monkeys. But let’s not forget: it was the humans who went to him first, not the monkeys, pleading for solutions to their crop losses and food security issues.
As for the monkeys, they haven’t exactly stepped up to take responsibility for the food security crisis, crop destruction, or property damage they’ve caused across farming districts. The minister was left to respond to the concerns of those who feed the nation—and understandably so.
Minister Lal Kantha told Parliament that the extent of crop damage caused by rilawu in agricultural districts as nothing short of rila thrasthavaadaya — crop-raiding terrorism by monkeys.
The Minister said that there are no legal restrictions preventing individuals from taking measures to protect their cultivations from these animals. Farmers, he said, are free to defend their crops as needed.
Minister Lal Kantha made no mention of killing animals but emphasised that while farmers may take appropriate action, the Ministry is working towards a firm and sustainable resolution to the issue.
As activist Dr. Ajantha Perera remarked last Thursday, in response to Minister Lal Kantha’s speech: “If farmers come across wild animals—say, a wild elephant—and if they have a gun, they would kill it. Lal Kantha’s speech is so dangerous that, on the one side, elephants will die; on the other, wild boar, deer and toque monkeys will perish because of his statement.”
This brings to mind the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale of Clever Elsie. In the story, Elsie, hailed as ‘clever’ by her parents, imagines a far-fetched tragedy to Hans, her suitor. She says “O my dear Hans, if we marry and have a child and it grows up and we send it down here to draw beer, perhaps that pickaxe, left sticking up there, might fall on the child’s head and kill it. And how can we help crying at that!” With this imagined catastrophe, Elsie, Hans, and her family all found a reason to weep—and so, they wept.
Similarly, the activists’ warnings about Lal Kantha’s speech seem to conjure up an exaggerated doomsday scenario. They said that while the Minister has created this situation, if a farmer kills a wild animal on their property, it’s the farmer—not Lal Kantha—who will face the courts and possible jail time.
For elephants, the law leaves no ambiguity. Harming these majestic creatures has long been a punishable offence and no farmer dare cross that line. But when it comes to toque macaques, the narrative takes a different turn.
Perhaps it’s this distinction that has shifted the tune of the environmentalists from the upbeat rhythm of ‘Dancing Monkeys’ to the mellow jazz of ‘Baby Elephant Walk’. The focus, once firmly on the monkey menace, now seems to have pivoted to the plight of elephants—adding yet another layer of complexity to the ongoing human-wildlife conflict.
Despite being classified as an endemic primate, the toque macaque receives no protection under Sri Lanka’s Animal and Plant Protection Ordinance (Law No. 22 of 2009). While listed on the IUCN Red List as a species of concern and protected internationally under CITES Appendix II, these monkeys are considered pests in Sri Lanka due to their destructive impact on crops such as coconuts, paddy, bananas, maize and orid dhal.
The gap in legal protection leaves farmers to grapple with the ever-growing rilawu menace, while environmentalists cry foul over any measures proposed to address the issue.
Veteran environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardane has shed light on the issue of the escalating conflict between farmers and wildlife. According to him, the toque macaque is one of five mammals in the country that is not protected under the law. Farmers are permitted to take action against non-protected animals which trespass and destroy their crops, he said.
Real issue
The real issue is ensuring that efforts to address crop damage don’t lead to harm against wildlife that is safeguarded by the Law, said Dr. Gunawardane.
Environmental activists contend that human encroachment on forest lands is the root cause of the escalating human-rilawu conflict. They said that widespread deforestation and settlement—driven by numerous construction projects—have led to the loss of natural habitats for toque macaques.
This displacement, they say, has forced the primates into closer contact with humans, intensifying adverse encounters.
While activists blame deforestation and human encroachment for the human-rilawu conflict, others argue that the dynamic might be the reverse. Could it be that monkeys have abandoned their forest habitats, drawn by the abundance of food near human settlements?
“What if monkeys built homes and started cultivating bananas, mangoes, paddy and corn?” asked one farmer. “Wouldn’t they have cleared forests for that too?” Instead, it seems they’ve opted for the easier route—raiding crops and stealing food from human settlements. This is what the monkey-human conflict is all about,” he said.
We asked former Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera why his administration failed to solve the rilawu issue. He was quick to shine a spotlight on what he called an “ambitious yet misunderstood” solution from his tenure. “I proposed exporting one million Toque macaques to China’s zoos and wildlife parks last year,” he said. “But the effort failed due to interference from environmental pressure groups”, he added. Apparently, his grand plan to ship off 100,000 Toque macaques as the first phase of the program was thwarted by conservationists who, inconveniently, didn’t share his enthusiasm for turning monkeys into international exports.
Amaraweera also sprang to the defence of current Agriculture Minister Lal Kantha, insisting that his parliamentary remarks about the rilawu were perfectly justified. “Environmental organisations shouldn’t block Government efforts to protect farmers from crop damage caused by monkeys,” he said, before throwing down the gauntlet to his critics: “If they oppose the Government’s approach, perhaps they should propose a viable solution instead of simply protesting.”
But not one to take it lying down, Dr. Ajantha Perera has struck back, lodging a police complaint to unearth the details of Amaraweera’s monkey export project. Speaking to the media, she accused him of attempting to profit from what she called a ‘monkey business’. According to her, the plan involved selling each Toque macaque for a neat Rs 32,000 to a private Chinese company.
Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyaratna said that complaints from farmers about the monkey menace have become so overwhelming that he now sees monkeys even in his dreams.
Upon waking, however, he is faced with a pile of proposals on his desk, each attempting to tackle the rilawu crisis. One particularly creative suggestion involved selecting 50-acre plots of dense forest from various locations and enclosing them with nets to ensure the monkeys couldn’t escape. The plan would then separate male monkeys on one side and females on the other, with an additional net between them to prevent cohabitation.
The Government is actively exploring solutions to the escalating problem of crop-raiding by wild animals, particularly the expanding toque macaque population. Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyaratna clarified that while some proposals, including one involving segregating monkeys into forest enclosures have been tabled, none have been officially accepted yet.
“This issue has been neglected for over seven decades by previous administrations,” Vidyaratna said, emphasising the urgent need for action.
Media Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has acknowledged the severe impact of crop-raiding wild animals, particularly toque macaques, in rural areas. “The ministries of Agriculture, Science and Technology and Environment are collaborating to explore all possibilities for a long-term, scientific solution to this issue,” Dr. Jayatissa said.
The Agriculture Ministry is rolling out a short-term program to mitigate immediate crop damage. This effort involves the active participation of all stakeholders, including local farmer organisations. Dr. Jayatissa said that while the Government aims to devise a solution that considers all perspectives—including those of environmentalists—priority will be given to addressing the urgent concerns of affected farmers.
In an effort to address the rilawu problem, the Agriculture Ministry has rolled out a sterilisation pilot project targeting Toque macaques in Matale. Interestingly, even environmentalists—often vocal critics—have given their nod of approval to the initiative.
With a Rs. 4.5 million budget, the program has brought several veterinarians on board to carry out the procedure. The plan is straightforward: monkeys will be captured and transported to the Wildlife Research and Training Centre in Giritale, where they will undergo sterilisation before being released back into the wild. According to the ministry, this is just the beginning. If the project is successful, the pilot project will be rolled out islandwide in the near future. Whether this initiative will solve the crop-raiding crisis or become yet another contested policy remains to be seen.
