Monkey herd at Nham Duong protected

Nun Thich Dieu Mo, head of Nham Duong pagoda, takes care of the youngest monkey there

Thanks to the participation of nun Thich Dieu Mo, the Animals Asia Foundation, and people, a herd of monkeys at Nham Duong pagoda in Duy Tan ward, Kinh Mon provincial town, Hai Duong province, has not only developed in number but also been protected and better cared for.

Previously, Nham Duong mountain with dense trees and little population was an ideal habitat for monkeys and many other species of flora and fauna.

Over time, because of blasting for stone exploitation, gradual reduction of natural food, and people’s hunting, both the number and type of monkeys there decreased.

Spending many years at Nham Duong pagoda and witnessing a lot of monkeys being trapped and slaughtered, nun Thich Dieu Mo always wondered how to make the monkey herd as large as before.

One time, seeing a restaurant lock a monkey for slaughtering, the nun bought and raise it at the pagoda. The monkey was safely protected, fed, and fully cared for, so it became attached to the nun.

After that, whenever knowing a place where monkeys were confined, she would come to buy them. The nun also recommended visitors to give her monkeys as well as other animals if they had but could not take care of them.

Knowing her love for animals, many people called and asked the nun to come to take monkeys. Some even proactively bought and brought monkeys to the pagoda, including a person in Bac Giang who took monkeys to the nun three times and asked her to raise them.

Thanks to careful attention and protection, the monkey herd grew fast and was brisker.

Nun Thich Dieu Mo’s protection of the monkey herd at Nham Duong pagoda was known by the Animals Asia Foundation.

After having surveyed the conditions at the pagoda and following the nun’s wishes, the foundation supported the care and protection of the monkey herd.

In 2017, the foundation sent two Dutch experts to together with the nun build and decorate breeding facilities suitable to the characteristics and living habits of monkeys. Depending on the personality of each monkey, the experts let it live in one cage with another monkey or alone. After having finished the construction of the breeding facilities, the foundation assigned staff members to stay to assist the pagoda in taking care of the monkeys.

“Every day, the staff members are responsible for observing the development of the monkeys to see how they have changed since being brought here for care; prepare meals; examine sick monkeys; etc.,” said Nguyen Tam Thanh, a member of the Department of Animal Welfare of the Animals Asia Foundation.

At present, Nham Duong pagoda is home to more than 30 monkeys, the youngest of them is over two years old. Each monkey was given a different name depending on its personality and characteristics as well as the time it was brought there.

Compared to the past, the life of the monkeys is much better. However, they are still wild animals. To give them an inherent life, the Animals Asia Foundation hopes that the nun will move the monkeys to a wildlife rescue center instead of letting them stay at the pagoda as present.

Authorities at all levels should strictly handle the illegal custody and trading of monkeys as well as other types of wildlife to preserve the diversity of animal ecosystem which is more and more declining.

NGOC THUY