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Monkeys Menacing New Delhi

November 14, 2007 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments

If you want to see the world's most street-savvy monkeys, book your trip to India soon. The government of New Delhi is finally dealing with the city's primate problem, finally fed up with the thousands of critters that have taken over as urban sprawl eats up their habitat.

The catalyst for the crackdown was the late October death of the city's deputy mayor who fell from a balcony fighting off a pack of primates. Though New Delhi has tried for years to eradicate the macaque menace, lack of funds for animal control and devotion from Hindus has kept the population from shrinking. All the while, the animals have been on the attack, biting park-goers, invading hospitals and rampaging through neighborhoods, rich and poor.

So until the city can round up the primates and restore order, what's a New Delhi visitor to do? Animal rights activist Sonya Ghosh has some tips for avoiding trouble:

The only way is to ignore them. Never look a monkey in the eye, never raise your eyebrows at one: it's interpreted as a challenge.

Related Stories:
· Monkeys in The Parks, Monkeys in The Palace [NYT]
· India Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Animals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Japs - TheGypsy]