The Supreme Court on Thursday invited tenders from professional monkey catchers to rid judges’ bungalows, the court premises and its guest house of marauding simians.
Monkey menace is common in parts of central Delhi and the Lutyens zone, areas that have a robust green cover.
Supreme Court additional registrar Vinod Lakhina’s notification invites vendors and agencies to provide “manpower as Monkey Chasers/ Handlers/ Repellers (Monkey Scarers) for driving away Monkeys from the Residential Bungalows of Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court of India including Supreme Court Guest House and Supreme Court Premises, for a period of two years”.
There are 35 to 40 such bungalows within a 10km radius of the Supreme Court. The court has sought around 100 trained professionals who would “strictly adhere” to norms laid down in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and other relevant Acts.
Earlier attempts to shoo away monkeys by deploying langurs had to be withdrawn by the civic authorities following protests by animal rights groups led by activist and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi.