Monkey whisperers hired to keep primates away from New Delhi badminton championships

As New Delhi prepares to host the Badminton World Championships next week, organizers have enlisted an unusual team: men skilled in mimicking the calls of langur monkeys. This measure is intended to keep rhesus monkeys, a persistent nuisance in India's capital, away from the competition venue.

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Monkeys are absolutely terrified of langurs, which is why mimicking is so effective.

Rhesus monkeys are known to frequent buildings and can be aggressive towards people. Langurs, larger primates with black faces, are considered an effective deterrent. The mimics' ability to replicate langur sounds is crucial in scaring away the smaller monkeys. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) faced embarrassment earlier this year when a monkey disrupted the Indian Open held at the same Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Zafar, a third-generation monkey whisperer, demonstrated his skills to the media, explaining the effectiveness of the langur mimicry. "Monkeys are absolutely terrified of langurs, which is why mimicking is so effective," he stated. "The idea is not to harm the monkeys, but just to make sure they won't come."

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The idea is not to harm the monkeys, but just to make sure they won't come.

India views the Badminton World Federation (BWF) event as an opportunity to showcase its capability in hosting major international sporting events, especially as it prepares for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and bids for the 2036 Olympics. However, the threat from animals extends beyond monkeys. Pigeons have also posed a problem; during the Indian Open, matches were twice halted due to bird droppings on the court, leading to player complaints about hygiene.

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We have addressed the issues that we faced during the Indian Open.

To address the pigeon issue, organizers have applied a non-toxic gel, typically used on railway wiring, to the stadium's roof and ducts to prevent roosting. BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra assured that issues faced during the Indian Open have been resolved, with the sports ministry improving facilities and the BWF expressing full satisfaction with the arrangements.

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The sports ministry did a lot to improve the facility and the BWF is 100 per cent happy with the arrangements here.