Glasses-snatching apes prompt creative countermeasures for President's Vrindavan visit
Monkeys in Vrindavan, known for snatching glasses, pose a challenge for President Draupadi Murmu's visit. Admin deploys creative solutions: langur cutouts, slingshots and laser lights to keep mischievous monkeys at bay
Mathura (The Uttam Hindu): While the mischief of monkeys snatching glasses and other belongings is common in Mathura-Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, this time these "glasses-stealing" monkeys have directly disturbed the district administration. The occasion is the proposed VVIP visit of the country's President, Draupadi Murmu. To ensure the President's safety and to avoid any inconvenience, the administration is struggling to deal with these vicious monkeys, and many unique methods are being adopted for this.
Returning glasses in exchange for fruity, danger looms over VVIP visit
Active around the temples and markets of Vrindavan, these monkeys especially target devotees wearing glasses. They snatch the glasses in the blink of an eye and return them only when they are given food items, especially a packet of Frooti, in exchange. This unique 'deal' has become a part of everyday life here. During the three-day visit of the President starting from March 19, she will visit Oriya Baba Ashram, Ramakrishna Mission Seva Charitable Hospital and her Govardhan Parikrama is also proposed on March 21. In such a situation, the security agencies do not want to let any kind of mistake happen.
Real langurs banned, so the administration resorted to the 'cutout' method
Previously, trained langurs were deployed to drive away monkeys during such large and VVIP visits. However, due to strict wildlife protection laws, the use of real langurs is no longer possible. In light of this legal hurdle, the administration has devised a new and interesting solution. Large cutouts of langurs are being placed along the President's routes and at sensitive locations. It is believed that monkeys are afraid of langurs, so seeing these life-size cutouts will keep them away from the area.
Monitoring will be done with slingshot and laser light, special team of forest department deployed
Keeping monkeys under control cannot be relied upon solely by cutouts, so a special team of approximately 30 members from the Forest Department has been deployed. These personnel will be constantly on alert in sensitive areas with equipment such as slingshots, sticks, and laser lights. Additional staff are being deployed in areas with high monkey populations and increased menace to ensure any emergency can be dealt with quickly and His Excellency's visit can proceed safely and without disruption.