Shriani Wijesinghe –
The pilot project of implanting a loop as a contraceptive measure on female Toque Macaque Monkeys to curb the growth of the Monkey population in Sri Lanka has shown good results, Professor Ashoka Dangalla of Peradeniya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine said.
The professor said that the loop was created by Peradeniya University’s Faculty of Veterinary Research after finding out the size of the uterus of female Monkey animals. Two months after the implantation the researchers followed up on the progress using X-rays and several other methods and they realized the implantation had been successful.
He also said that this loop is well embedded in the uterus because it is created by mixing copper.
Professor Dangolla said that the second step is to test whether the loop acts as a contraceptive successfully. The professor said that it would take some time to test.
The professor points out that by training veterinarians in the field and implementing this program in his area, it will be possible to reduce the monkey population and if this program is successful, there is no need to burden the country with them.
The professor further states that since it costs 2000 rupees to produce this loop, it is a very cheap contribution.
