Meanwhile, militant political outfits like the Bajrang Dal, who identify themselves with the Hanuman cult, are making a sacred cow out of the monkey. Joining forces with them are sweet, snack and fruit vendors, who profit from the feeding. As a result, translocators get threatened with lines like: "Take away our monkeys and we will release pigs in dargahs."
"These people should care for the monkeys and not create health and living hazards," reacts a frustrated wildlife official.
No one seems to want new monkeys, holy or not, which makes translocation hard. As petitions for monkey translocation pile up, forest officers don't want them, nor zoos, nor small towns and villages. Delhi only has a temporary shelter for 250 monkeys.
There is a dire need for a solution. Whatever form it ultimately takes, as the most intelligent species on earth, Homo sapiens owes it to the rest of the planet to find a humane solution to this primate predicament.
