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[gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3551167.stm

Monkey mischief 'blesses' Bangladeshis
 
By Roland Buerk 
BBC correspondent in Keshabpur, western Bangladesh  

The town of Keshabpur is overrun by hundreds of
monkeys. 
They steal and break into houses, but the people
consider themselves lucky. 

"This place is blessed, that is why monkeys live
here," said Haridun Chakrabati, the Brahmin of the
town's Hindu temple. 

"These monkeys live nowhere else in Bangladesh. They
come here because the people are friendly and they
worship them as a god." 

Most people in Bangladesh are Muslims, but Keshabpur
in the western division of Jessore is home to many
Hindus. 

They revere the animals, black-faced langours, as
Hanuman, the monkey god. 

But the relationship between people and monkeys is
uneasy. 

The animals roam the town, raiding gardens, kitchens,
and even people's shopping bags. 

"Usually they sit on the roof of my kitchen," says
Illan Bishush, a 34-year-old housewife. 

"I'm frightened of the monkeys because they are not
afraid of women. They get very angry if women try to
scare them off." 

But she still respects the monkeys. 

"They frighten us and damage things, but whenever we
forgive them they forgive us. When we say we're sorry
they forgive us and that's why we treat them as a
sacred." 

The roof of the local hospital is one of the monkeys'
favourite haunts. 

They can be sure visitors will have food for the
patients. 

Failed solution 

"Whenever we come here groups of monkeys surround us,"
says Rena Parvin. 

"They snatch things away from us; bananas, biscuits,
cakes, whatever we bring for the patients. If we
object they quarrel with us, they scratch our faces
and tear our clothes." 

Local people say the monkeys first moved into the
Keshabpur area more than a century ago. 

At one time there were thousands of them, but their
numbers are now down to around 350. 

The Poverty Elimination Assistance Centre for
Everywhere is a local charity that feeds the monkeys
bananas and nuts twice a day. 

"The danger for the monkeys is electric wires; they
are not insulated in Keshabpur," says Monirun Jonday,
the project co-ordinator. 

"When they jump from branch to branch they touch the
wires and are electrocuted. Every year around 15
monkeys are killed." 

One solution that was tried was to move the monkeys to
woods outside the town. 

The dominant males were sedated and transported there
in the hope the others would follow. 

But a few hours later the male monkeys were back, and
for now the people of Keshabpur have learned to live
with their dubious blessing. 

 


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