Ahmedabad: If you have been seeing too many monkeys swinging through the neighbourhoods lately, then there is data to back your observation.
According to the estimated figures released by the state govt, Ahmedabad's monkey population has almost doubled in five years — from 2,200 in 2018, it now stands at 4,609, raising concerns about human-animal conflict.
In contrast, peafowl numbers tell a different story, dropping 4% from 4,150 in 2018 to 3,987 in 2024.
Ahmedabad maintains a diverse wildlife population, including significant numbers of nilgai.
Compared to its greener neighbour Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad hosts more nilgai and peafowl, though the state capital leads in monkey population with 213 more primates and houses 1,136 wild boars.
The impact of the growing monkey population is becoming increasingly evident. The forest department's helpline now receives an average of two monkey bite reports daily, along with about 10 calls for monkey rescues – a significant increase from six calls a couple of years ago. For peafowl, the helpline handles three rescue calls and one call reporting death every day.
According to AMC data, the situation has become quite pressing this year with the city recording 366 monkey bite incidents in just the first nine months – a sharp rise from 180 cases in 2023 and 179 in 2020.
An expert, who is part of the rescue operation in Ahmedabad, says, "Many a time, people feed the monkeys, leading to the animals expecting easy food. The lack of fruit-bearing trees in the city compounds the problem, making monkeys rely heavily on residents for food. Bites often happen when they don't get the food expected."
The eastern part of the city faces particular challenges, with frequent rescue calls from areas with substantial green cover, including Gujarat University, Cantonment, Pirana, Kankaria, and Gujarat College areas. Some of the calls also report monkey attacks.
Forest officers suggest following Delhi's example of systematic translocation as a potential solution to manage the growing monkey population.
"If Delhi can implement such measures, why not Ahmedabad? The administration should consider similar steps to prevent escalating human-animal conflicts," a forest officer said.