Not all of them will be caught and released, but some monkeys will naturally remain in the pagoda forever.
According to the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Board of Trustees, for the preservation of the ancient Buddhist buildings in Minbu Township, Minbu District in Magway Region, monkeys in the pagoda will be caught and released back into the forest away from the pagoda.
“To prevent the destruction of electricity cables, CCTV cables, and ancient Buddhist buildings and to make them sustainable, we have to plan to release monkeys back into the forests away from the pagoda to reduce the number of monkeys since they reproduce every year and the number of monkeys increases, so the monkeys run and play on the temple buildings and roofs and ceilings in the premises. Not all of them are caught and released, but some monkeys will naturally remain in the temple forever,” Chairman U Win Htay of the Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda Board of Trustees told The Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM).
At present, there are between 300 and 500 monkeys at Mann Shwesettaw Pagoda, and there are many donors for monkey food during the pagoda festival since pilgrims donate food, but there are few people who come and feed monkeys during non-festival times.
The 179-square-mile Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary has been developed in Minbu Township in Magway Region. The protected area is a host to the most research and is home to Myanmar’s famous golden deer. The birds and wild animals of the area are interesting attractions for tourists, as is the experience of meeting the locals. In addition, one will be able to visit the Buddha’s footprint.
The Mann Shwesettaw area in Minbu Township, Magway Region, is implemented in cooperation with regional government department officials and tourism operators to improve the tourism industry throughout the year and encourage homegrown and foreign tourists to come and study. — Maung Maung (Minbu)/CT
