The Da Nang People's Committee has just asked relevant local agencies to take effective measures to protect wild animals during conducting tourism activities on the Son Tra Peninsula.

The act of feeding monkeys has prompted them to rely on humans for food instead of finding it on their own in the jungle.

Accordingly, the functional local bodies shall strengthen inspections and supervisions, and encourage locals and tourists not to feed monkeys on the Son Tra Peninsula, and strictly comply the regulations on  wildlife protection when visiting this tourist attraction.

In addition, competent agencies and relevant units must make proposals to the municipal administration on handling the act of intentionally feeding monkeys, including regulations on the legal corridor with the application of administrative fines to this act as prescribed.

That Da Nang people and tourists feeding monkeys on the Son Tra Peninsula has resulted in some consequences, including the primates getting used to being fed rather than finding food on their own in the jungle.

Feeding monkeys creates many negative effects to both animals and humans.

The habit has led to the primates’ decreased ability of seeking food in nature and increased their dependence on people to fill their stomach, which is not really good for their digestive system. Tourists have accidentally changed the survival instinct of the younger generations of monkeys on the Son Tra Peninsula, when mother monkeys taught their children to beg for food from visitors instead of finding things to eat in the woods.

Besides, that tourists lure or tease the animal with food also makes them become aggressive, hereby increasingly attacking people.

Such a habit also places the animals at a high risk of road accidents.

In addition to the negative impact on the monkeys, direct contact with wild animals puts humans at the risk of catching such diseases as flu and gingivitis.

In terms of the environmental impacts, litter left by mindless people who feed monkeys pollutes the environment and affects the natural ecosystem.

Tourists are, therefore, recommended to keep themselves safe and preserve the natural habitat for local wildlife by keeping their distance from wild animals.

Reporting by THU HA – Translating by A.THU