The forest area in several parts of Himachal Pradesh is highly fragmented due to human settlements, forest land encroachments, extensive agricultural/horticultural practices and enclosures. Crop damage by monkeys in the agricultural and apple orchard belts, especially in fields adjoining the forest areas, has been a matter of serious concern among farmers in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. According to forest and horticulture department officials, rhesus monkeys and Hanuman langurs stray from the forest into adjoining agricultural fields and orchards and damage a variety of crops in several pockets in 10 out of 12 districts. The cultivators themselves reported that rhesus monkeys are the only daytime agents of crop damage throughout the year, although there is some seasonal straying of other wild animals such as wild boar in sub-tropical areas and black bear in temperate areas into the agricultural fields at night causing damage to standing crops. The type of damage to crops by the monkeys ranges from complete consumption of items to widespread stripping of apple bark, uprooting of crop seeds, and the trampling of the crop plants.
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