A deputy mayor in New Delhi has died after a swarm of monkeys attacked him at his home. Surinder Singh Bajwa was on the first-floor terrace of his house when a troop of rhesus macaques invaded the balcony. Neighbours said he tried to scare them off but lost his balance and fell, sustaining critical head injuries. He was rushed to Apollo Hospital and pronounced dead the following day.
The incident has reignited concerns about the monkey menace in Delhi, which is home to thousands of rhesus macaques. The animals frequently swarm homes, temples and rooftops, putting residents at constant risk. In the wake of Mr Bajwa's death in 2007, calls for action have intensified, with suggestions ranging from relocation programmes to stronger wildlife control measures.
Paying tribute, government minister Dr Harsh Vardhan described Mr Bajwa as one of the most honest and dedicated workers of his party, who worked selflessly for the nation and the uplift of the poor. He said his untimely demise was an irreparable loss to Delhi.
Mr Bajwa's house was located near a temple dedicated to Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, where hundreds of macaques gather daily to be fed by tourists and devotees. Prior to his death, local authorities had hired a fearsome monkey named Rambo to protect government buildings, but it was eventually driven off by rival troops.
In the following years, Delhi's courts grappled with managing the macaque population. Delhi mayor Arti Mehra reported that 1,250 monkeys had been captured since May, with plans to increase trapping teams from two to 12 and to advertise for experienced catchers from other states.
