The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[Jeremy Salmon <jdsalmon AT engin.umich.edu>]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/monkeys010109.html

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Monkey Madness! 
Surly Simians Run Amok in Indian Capital - (Reuters)

N E W  D E L H I, Jan. 9  Thousands of monkeys are creating havoc in the
corridors of power in the Indian capital, barging into government offices,
stealing food, threatening bureaucrats, and even ripping apart valuable
documents.

    The increasingly aggressive animals swing effortlessly between the
offices of the defense, finance and external affairs ministries, and have
even been spotted in the prime ministers office, government officials say.
They are moving in very high security areas, said defense ministry officer
I.K. Jha.

According to estimates by officials, there are at least 10,000 monkeys
scampering in and around the stately red sandstone buildings just a stones
throw from the grand presidential palace. 

Can't Kill Sacred Monkeys

But officials say there is little they can do to deal with the monkey
invasion of the government buildings, built by the countrys British rulers
before India won independence in 1947.

Killing the animals is not an option because monkeys have a sacred status
in Indias main religion, Hinduism.

Authorities used to capture the monkeys and ship them to neighboring
states. But that option now is closed because many states say they have
enough trouble coping with their own monkey population. 

Humans vs. Simians

Two years ago, the government had a high-level meeting to seek a permanent
solution to the problem. Suggestions ranged from setting up a separate
park for captured primates to monkey contraception.

But little has been done since then and government employees still walk
warily to work armed with sticks and stones to prevent monkey attacks.

I am sometimes faced with groups of monkeys, big huge looking fellows,
said government employee Surekha Rao. What I do is make some noise with my
shoes so the monkey moves away.

Animal rights activists say the main problem isnt the rising number of
monkeys but the growing population of humans.

We have encroached on their homelands, we have taken away their fruits, we
have reduced their water sources and we are trapping them from their home
range, from their forests, so they are coming to the urban areas, said
rights activist Iqbal Malik.

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Jeremy Kingfish Salmon  jdsalmon AT engin.umich.edu  www.umich.edu/~jdsalmon/  
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