Now, langurs hired to keep monkeys at bay during Kanpur ODI

The district administration here has hired langurs to control the monkey menace at the Green Park Stadium, which will stage the first ODI between India and South Africa on October 11.

The district administration here has hired langurs to control the monkey menace at the Green Park Stadium, which will stage the first ODI between India and South Africa on October 11.

Langurs have been hired to scare away monkeys from the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. (Manoj Yadav/ HT Photo)

“The administration has employed two langurs to scare away the monkeys,” said ADM City, Avinash Singh.

To ensure their effectiveness, the langurs will be staying at the venue from Sunday. They were even taken to the points from where the monkeys enter the stadium. One of the owners said regular patrolling by the langurs would act as a deterrent.

“Once they get the message, they (monkeys) would avoid visiting the place and visitors can have a peaceful time during the match,” said an official.

He added the monkeys frequent the nearby Parmat temple where they get food and often stray into the stadium. The district administration would be paying Rs 5000 each for the two langurs, which cost Rs 7000-10,000 a month depending on the hours of work.

The practice is common in the city. Langurs are often employed during day functions at apartments for a daily wage of Rs 1000-1,500.

In the last two years, 49 people have been injured in monkey attacks, most of them being children.