The return of the wild: Rhesus monkeys reappear in Sukhai CCA

Representative Image: A Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta mulatta) female, Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh.  Farmers tending their jhum fields in Sukhai village under Zunheboto district reported on May 9 that a group of rhesus monkeys, which have not been sighted in the district in the last two decades, were spotted. (Charles J Sharp / CC BY-SA [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0] via Wikimedia Commons)

Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 11

Lockdowns that have kept people in their homes — and social distancing measures meant to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic— have brought clearer skies and quieter streets. These are challenging times for humanity. But for many of Earth's other inhabitants, there's a silver lining.

On May 9, very different sorts of visitors were spotted by farmers of Sukhai village under Zunheboto district when they were tending their jhum fields. It was a group of rhesus monkeys which have not been sighted in the district in the last two decades.

The area where the monkeys were spotted falls under the Sukhai Community Conserved Area which is part of the wider Tizu Valley Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Network (TVBCLN) - a joint initiative of Sukhai, Ghukhuyi and Kivikhu villages, started in 2014. 

Speaking to The Morung Express, Ivan Zhimo who heads the Sukhai CCA said that the monkeys, though not a rare species, had greatly declined in numbers in the district. He informed that a documentation team will be observing the area to photograph the monkeys when they make their next appearance.  

The reported reappearance of the monkeys is being seen as a positive development for the CCA as well as the Network, he added.