Delhi authorities erect ‘scare-monkeys’ to keep monkeys away from the G20 summit

New Delhi, Aug 30 (EFE).- Authorities in New Delhi this week began to put up real-size cut-outs of large langur monkeys to scare away smaller monkeys from the area where the G20 leaders’ summit is set to be held between Sep. 9-10.

The figures of langur monkeys – a large and aggressive species that scares the smaller and more numerous primates – have been erected in parks and streets of the capital, including the upscale Chanakyapuri area, which houses embassies and luxury hotels, as well as the administrative center of the city.

With their faces turned towards the parks often frequented by the the smaller macaque monkeys in search of food, the “scare-monkeys” are aimed to prevent the animals from approaching hotels and other places linked to the summit.

Apart from the cut-outs, the authorities are also contemplating hiring around 30-40 personnel trained in imitating the langur monkeys’ voices to scare the primates away, Satish Upadhyay, vice-chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, told reporters.

Monkeys are worshipped in Hinduism – with one of the deities reincarnated in primate form – and can often be seen in groups living on the streets of Indian cities, where they coexist with the humans to certain extent, but are also known to attack them on occasion.

This is not the first time that New Delhi is taking measures to control the monkey population during important events.

In 2015, during the first official visit of former United States’ president Barack Obama, the Delhi police had set up watch-towers to prevent monkeys from approaching areas to be visited by the leader. EFE

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