India monkey whisperers guard badminton worlds

Organisers of badminton's world championships in New Delhi have hired a four-person team of animal callers to keep rhesus macaques away from the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium before the tournament begins on August 17.

The men, locally known as monkey wallahs, imitate langurs, a natural enemy of smaller monkeys. Trained langurs can no longer be used after a court ruling barred their capture and use.

The venue was criticised during the India Open in January after a monkey was seen in the stands and bird droppings and debris from a nest disrupted play.

Nazar Khan, 65, one of the hired workers, told AFP there were “three-four monkeys and two fat ones” around the venue and said the team used specific noises to drive them away. He said the workers also remove stray dogs from the stadium and that no animal is harmed.

Organisers have also put a non-toxic gel on roof structures and ducts to stop pigeons sitting there. Badminton Association of India secretary Sanjay Mishra said he was “100 percent sure” bird- and animal-related problems would not occur during the world championship.