To protect athletes at the upcoming Commonwealth Games from Delhi’s rampaging troops of rhesus macaques, the city has
added 10 langur monkeys to its monkey security squad
, bringing the total to 38.
Male Hanuman langurs weigh about 40 pounds, while male rhesus monkeys are 17 pounds. The smaller monkeys, though capable of vicious attacks on humans,
.
AFP, reporting on the mobilization, gives some history of the macaque problem:
In 2007, the deputy mayor of New Delhi died from a fatal fall after being attacked by a group on the terrace of his home.
The
—a quadrennial competition for current and former member countries of the British Empire—has reportedly been plagued by last-minute problems, including the
collapse of a footbridge meant for spectators
and the discovery of a
deadly cobra inside the tennis stadium
. And with the games officially opening on Sunday, the New York Times reports, Delhi is following the tradition of international sports-event host cities and
erecting signs as barriers to hide slums from view
.
