Melaka Perhilitan says RM1.19mil on plant pest eradication this year

MELAKA: The state Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) spent RM1.19 million for the implementation of the Plant Pest Eradication Programme this year.

State senior Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Rais Yasin said the cost involved the procurement of 316 traps of various types to catch monkeys and wild boars.

“All these traps will be placed in areas with reported human-wildlife conflicts in stages beginning July this year,” he said at the State Legislative Assembly sitting at Seri Negeri Complex, Ayer Keroh here on Wednesday (Aug 2).

He said this in reply to a supplementary question from Rosli Abdullah (BN-Kuala Linggi) on the initiatives taken to resolve the issue where wildlife such as monkeys often trespass into villages and cause damage to property.

According to Rais, there were a total of 1,972 complaints about wildlife disturbance in 2022, with macaque disturbance receiving the most at 1,702, wild boar (166), dusky leaf monkeys (54), and foxes (24).

During the same period, Rais said a total of 3,996 macaques and 1,096 wild boars were culled. – Bernama