NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 18, 2001: An estimated 5,000 monkeys are roaming freely in the capital and in some cases creating havoc among the populace. In an attempt to rescue some of these monkeys and return them to their natural habitat, a non-governmental organization has formed a rescue center in the state of Haryana. Expecting cooperation to catch the monkeys from civic bodies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, a spokesman from this group states they have been given no instructions to work with the NGO. Primatologist Iqbal Malik expresses his concern over the situation, “They have just enough space for 100 monkeys. But Delhi has some 5,000.” Suggesting that in order to successfully relocate the monkeys a plan must be orchestrated; Malik advocates that a forest be allocated in the country, that the forest department be moved to the Central list so monkeys can be transferred to other states, and that a quarantine center be set up. Then and only then does Malik feel that is would be appropriate to have civic agencies begin trapping the animals.
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