Around 200 African Green Monkeys damaging crops in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda: Between 100 to 200 African green monkeys and green iguanas have reportedly been roaming around the mainland of Antigua and Barbuda, causing major concerns for the agriculture sector. Some reports also suggested that the number of the species could be even more high around 1,000.

Senior Forestry Officer of Antigua and Barbuda- Adriel Thibou expressed concerns over the sudden spike in the number of these species and said that the rise has been causing problems for the local authorities and farmers. It has also been impacting the ecological aspect and posing significant challenges to the forest department of the country.

In addition to the monkeys, Antigua and Barbuda have also been facing the issue of the rising population of green iguanas that are affecting the agricultural aspects. In order to tackle the issue, the Forestry Division also visited St Kitts and Nevis and explored the management strategies which included the development of monkey traps.

According to Thibou, the rising populations of the species have been leading to their establishment on the mainland of Antigua and Barbuda, which will be a serious issue for the entire community. About the iguanas, the department noted that complaints have been registered against them as farmers cried about the harsh impacts of their population on their crops.

The population has been discovered across areas such as Clear Hall and Cades Gardens where the crops of lettuce and spinach have been devastated by them. The reports outlined that the farmers complained about the damage to the entire crop due to the species which has been turning out to be a grave concern among the department.

Even the environment of Antigua and Barbuda has also been impacted by the rising population due to which the authorities have implemented a series of measures. The Forestry Division outlined that they would implement a monitoring and control program to manage their rising population as the problem is still in the early stages.