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[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

India News > Monkey keeps off monkeys in parliament
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=27745

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) :

Hundreds of elite security guards kept vigil in parliament Thursday, 
as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the general budget, 
joined by a rather unlikely guard -- of the simian variety.

The services of Payal, a common langur, are being used by parliament 
staff to rid the premises of bonnet macaques or the common Indian 
monkeys that have been terrorising employees in the parliament 
complex.

Five-year-old Payal's duties include patrolling around the circular 
complex, housing the upper and lower houses of the Indian parliament, 
and shooing away other monkeys.

"Macaques flee the place at the sight of the fierce-looking langur," 
says her keeper Gangaram.

But Payal herself is kept on leash to ensure she does not run away or 
attack the parliament staff in a fit of rage.

Payal helps her keeper Gangaram earn Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 6,000 a month, 
while she herself clocks nearly 11 hours a day at work.

"Our duty stars at 7 a.m. and we go home by 6 p.m.," said Gangaram 
proudly talking about his assignment at the parliament complex, home 
to India's seat of power.

It is not the first time that langurs have been called to keep 
macaques in check.

Three langurs were recruited by the Delhi government earlier to 
combat the monkey menace at the state legislature, public works 
department and election commission offices, besides one at the All 
India Institute of Medical Sciences complex here.