MAKILALA, NORTH COTABATO?LACK of food due to drought has forced monkeys to leave their sanctuaries in Barangay New Israel here and take refuge in nearby forested areas.

?It all started when severe heat wilted some crops in the village including banana plants that serve as food for these animals,? Darwin Paraiso, a village councilor, said.

Paraiso said the monkeys started to form groups and scramble for food, particularly bananas donated by Dole-Stanfilco.

The village councilor said there were times when the fighting over food turns deadly for the young and old monkeys.

?This may be the reason some of these animals abandoned our place and prefer to live in the mountainside near the village,? Paraiso said.

Paraiso said prior to the drought, close to 1,000 monkeys freely roamed the village, mingling with residents and visitors. Today, only a few of the animals remain.

Paraiso said he believed that scarcity of food was the main reason for the monkeys? leaving Barangay New Israel.

The Makilala local government has recognized New Israel as a tourist destination due to the monkeys in the community.

Paraiso said monkeys are free to move around without being harmed by villagers since the barangay council had passed a resolution protecting the creatures.

?These animals even play with us and our children and visitors,? Paraiso said.

Tourists from North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Bukidnon and Maguindanao usually go on field trips to this village.

Paraiso estimated that some 100,000 visitors, including foreigners, have visited the monkey sanctuary since it was officially declared a tourist spot during the 1990s.

But El Niño changed it all. Some of the monkeys have also stolen food to survive. Paraiso said some villagers complained that some monkeys enter their homes and steal food.

The drought was also seen as the reason for frequent encounters with deadly king cobras in Davao del Sur.

The cobras have killed two persons in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, last month.

Authorities said king cobras may have been driven out of their homes by the extreme heat.

?Hunting for food and the destruction of their habitats cause most animals to venture farther from their territories,? said one animal hunter.

King cobras are highly venomous reptiles and are known to inhabit bamboo thickets and forests.

The snake has olive green, tan or black skin with pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body. The underbelly is cream or yellow. Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao