Monkey impersonators rolled out in New Delhi to scare off troublesome primates ahead of G20

A life-size cutout of a grey langur is displayed on a railing in New Delhi.
Life-size cutouts of monkeys are also being deployed across the capital as a deterrent. Credit: Getty

New Delhi officials have taken measures into their own hands in a bid to stop monkeys from harassing visitors when the city hosts the G20 summit.

And a group of 30 to 40 men, who can mimic the call of langur monkeys, have been employed to scare smaller rhesus macaques away from venues.

Life-size cutouts of grey langurs have also been installed at a number of vantage points in India's capital as a further deterrent.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the city's Forest Department have imposed the strategies before foreign dignitaries arrive for the 18th meeting of the G20.

Rhesus macaques are a nuisance in New Delhi. Credit: AP

New Delhi will host the summit on Saturday September 9 and Sunday September 10.

Additional steps have been taken to ensure the monkeys do not scavenge for food in the city centre, with the provision of food in designated areas of New Delhi's outskirts.

Rhesus macaques have been a nuisance in New Delhi for a number of years, and their presence has been made worse through deforestation.

Authorities have previously tried to scare the macaques away for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, using real langurs as one of their deterrent methods.

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