New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- Amid rising complaints of monkey menace on the Madhya Pradesh CM Helpline, panchayats have been told to manage the menace with their own funds, reported Times of India.

Madhya Pradesh's forest department has issued a circular saying it will no longer pay for capturing rhesus macaques (macaca mulatta), or red-faced monkeys as the species was removed from the Wildlife Protection Act schedules in 2022, and hence, the department has no legal right to capture them, said the ToI report.

The circular has been sent to all collectors and municipal CEOs. It pointed out that people frequently lodge complaints on the CM Helpline portal about monkeys injuring people or stealing food.

"Earlier, action was taken by the forest de...