Monkeys need space, not snacks
The afternoon was calm on the Margalla Hills. A group of hikers had stopped along the trail to catch their breath, enjoy the cool breeze and admire Islamabad stretching beneath them. From the height of the hills, the capital appeared peaceful and distant, its busy roads and buildings softened by the surrounding green landscape.
Then the mood suddenly changed.
A monkey emerged from the trees and moved towards the hikers, its eyes fixed on a packet of biscuits. Within seconds, the quiet break turned into laughter, nervous shouts and hurried steps backwards. The hikers pulled their bags closer as the monkey continued its approach without the slightest hesitation.
"Be careful with the biscuits!" one hiker shouted.
The monkey remained completely unfazed. It had spotted the food and appeared to know exactly what it wanted.
"These monkeys know exactly who is carrying food," another hiker joked.
For the hikers, it was an amusing encounter. But for wildlife enthusiasts and officials, scenes like this point to a deeper and increasingly visible problem: wild animals are becoming accustomed to human food.
Across Daman-e-Koh, Trail 3, Trail 5 and other routes through the Margalla Hills, hikers, families, students and fitness enthusiasts regularly share the trails with wildlife. They come for exercise, fresh air, scenic views and a break from the routine of city life.
Yet the boundary between observing wildlife and interfering with it can disappear quickly when visitors begin offering food.
"We come here for the views and the peace, but the monkeys have become part of the experience too," said regular hiker Khalid Malik.
Another hiker summed up the experience with a laugh: "You can forget your water bottle, but never forget to protect your snacks."
Behind the humour is a serious conservation concern.
Mansoor Sherwani, a young nature enthusiast and biodiversity advocate who volunteers with the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) has made public awareness about wildlife feeding an important part of his work. He regularly approaches visitors on the trails, asking them not to feed monkeys or other wild animals.
For Mansoor, the issue is not about a single biscuit, sandwich or piece of fruit. It is about what repeated feeding teaches an animal.
"Wild animals know how to find food in their own habitat," he explained. "When people keep feeding them, they begin to expect food from humans instead of finding it themselves."
He believes visitors often feed wildlife with good intentions. A person sees a monkey approaching and assumes that giving it a piece of bread, fruit or a paratha is an act of kindness.
But, he argues, kindness can have unintended consequences.
One encounter particularly stayed with him.
A family had arrived on the trail carrying freshly prepared desi ghee parathas. The food had not simply been packed for their own picnic. They had brought the parathas from their village specifically to feed the monkeys.
Several monkeys watched from nearby branches as the family prepared to offer them the food.
Mansoor approached the family and explained why feeding wildlife could interfere with the animals' natural behaviour.
Then, hoping humour would make his message easier to remember, he joked: "Why don't you give those parathas to me instead? I hardly ever get to eat desi ghee parathas like these."
The family laughed, but their intention remained serious. They told him that they had brought the special food from their village specifically for the monkeys.
For Mansoor, the encounter revealed how deeply the practice is rooted in public perception.