'The Jungle Book': Men mimicking langurs to scare away monkeys during G20 summit in Delhi

New Delhi: A band of about 30 to 40 men who can mimic the call of a langur and lifesize cutouts of the distinctive black-faced simian at vantage points will be the stratagem to scare away monkeys during the G20 summit in the national capital.

The unchecked population of monkeys has led to their ever-increasing numbers across the city, including in New Delhi areas (Lutyens' Delhi), with the animals loitering around and often attacking and biting people.

Given this, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Forest Department of the city government have taken steps to ensure that monkeys are not allowed to play spoilsport during the important G20 summit, to be held from September 9-10.

"All the important sites, including the main venue of the Summit, hotels where foreign dignitaries and delegates would be staying are being covered to ensure the monkey hordes are not visible there during the event," a government official said.

NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay said the civic body will deploy 30-40 trained persons who can mimic langur sounds to scare away the monkeys.

"These trained persons are registered with us and they have been hired as they are effective in scaring away monkeys by making sounds of langur. We will deploy one each at hotels where delegates would stay, as well as in places where monkey sightings are reported," he said.

An official said over a dozen cutouts of langur were placed strategically in areas, including Sardar Patel Marg, that are heavily infested with monkeys.

He said apart from other problems, the monkeys have damaged plants and flowers that were part of horticulture landscaping for the G20 Summit by different agencies.

Sardar Patel Marg which connects New Delhi to the IGI airport has been given a facelift with installations of statues, fountains, street furniture, and a lot of greenery and flowering plants since all the delegates and dignitaries for the Summit will pass through the road, officials said.

They said arrangements are also being made to provide eatables like fruits and vegetables at identified locations on the ridge so that the monkeys do not come out in human settlements in search of food.

Wildlife expert Faiyaz Khudsar said the possible reason why monkeys are scared of langurs is that they are bigger. However, a more practical reason is that a langur is trained to scare away the monkeys, he added.

The city has been facing the monkey menace for years as no method like using langur to scare them away, sterilization, and shifting them to Asola wildlife sanctuary has materialized due to various reasons, including opposition by animal activists fearing cruelty against the animals, experts said.

Inputs from PTI