Fri Sep 26 14:06:08 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, fitting within the tone and style of The Hindu:

**The Hindu: Idukki Cardamom Farmers Besieged by Bonnet Macaques, Seek Government Intervention**

**Idukki, September 26, 2025:** Cardamom farmers in Idukki, Kerala’s heartland of cardamom cultivation, are facing mounting losses due to increasing raids by Bonnet macaques. The primate incursions are devastating crops and livelihoods, prompting urgent pleas for intervention from local planters.

Prabhu, a farmer in Kumily, laments the significant damage inflicted by the macaques, forcing him to spend considerable sums on deterrents like firecrackers, which offer only temporary relief. Stany Pothen, chairman of the Cardamom Planters Federation, emphasizes the unique threat posed by these primates, noting that unlike other animals, they destroy entire plants. He highlights the ineffectiveness of traditional protective measures, stating, “There is no possible solution to prevent the menace of Bonnet macaques. At a time, a group of 100-odd Bonnet macaques raids the plantation leaving the crops fully damaged.”

The Cardamom Planters Federation warns that the ongoing attacks, if unchecked, could trigger a major crisis within the farming sector.

In response to the growing crisis, the Forest Department is considering a significant shift in the protection status of the Bonnet macaque. Job J. Neriamparambil, Assistant Conservator of Forests, confirmed that numerous complaints have been received. He stated, “We will table the farmers’ complaints before the Chief Wildlife Warden and submit a report to the Union government demanding that the Bonnet macaque be moved from Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act to Schedule II. When the animal is reclassified in Schedule II, the Forest department could prevent its menace.”

Currently, as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Forest Department is severely restricted in its ability to manage the macaque population and protect crops. Reclassification would allow for more proactive measures to be taken, while still ensuring the conservation of the species.

Forest Department sources acknowledge the severity of the issue and the helplessness they currently face due to the macaque’s protected status. The proposed reclassification offers a potential path forward to balance the needs of the farmers and the conservation of this common primate.

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