Contraception programme to tackle monkey mayhem

Hong Kong is introducing a contraception programme to cope with its rampaging monkey population.

Officials say the 1,250 macaques in the Monkey Mountain area create traffic hazards, snatch food and frequently attack hikers.

They operate in gangs of between 30 and 100. Their leaders have been given nicknames like Longlegged 7, Superman and Kit-kit.

Hong Kong's monkey population has been growing between 5.5% and 10% a year.

The government blames animal lovers for foiling a feeding ban intended to push monkeys deeper into the forest to hunt for something to eat.

Vets from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department have already begun a trial programme on a clan of 18 females and several males.

Caught monkeys are given contraceptive injections, ear-notched with microchips for identification and released the same day.

Officials say the monkeys' sex lives aren't affected and no side effects are expected. It's too early to say if the contraceptives will wear off.

The contraceptive programme has been welcomed by many visitors to the mountain. Frequent hiker, 75-year-old Leung Mun-shing, said: "I've been attacked several times. Once, a monkey jumped onto me and scratched my shoulder, looking for food."

But some are opposed to contraception. Linuce Lam, a 40-year-old engineer, who takes his son to feed the monkeys from his car, said: "It just goes against nature - there shouldn't be any control."