India's badminton world championships organisers hire monkey whisperers

The workforce behind badminton's World Championships in New Delhi next week will include a small group of men with an unusual skill: mimicking the calls of langur monkeys.

Rhesus monkeys are a menace in India's national capital, often gatecrashing buildings and attacking unsuspecting pedestrians or residents, but the langur, a bigger primate with a black face, is a potent antidote to the problem, and they are routinely deployed in offices.

Mimics are also in demand for their ability to emit sounds that keep the monkeys away.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) was left red-faced when a monkey was spotted roaming in the gallery during the Indian Open at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium this year.

Zafar, one of the mimics, gave a demonstration of his hooting skills to the media during a stadium visit on Monday.

"Monkeys are absolutely terrified of langurs, which is why mimicking is so effective," Zafar, a third-generation monkey whisperer, told reporters.

"I have served in several government offices, and the idea is not to harm the monkeys, but just to make sure they won't come."

India, host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games and bidding for the 2036 Olympics, is treating the Badminton World Federation (BWF) showpiece as an opportunity to demonstrate its capability to host major events.

The animal threat to it is not restricted to monkeys though. An overpopulation of pigeons in Delhi is another headache for the organisers.

During the Indian Open, a match was halted twice after birds fouled the court and players complained of poor hygiene.

A non-toxic gel, frequently used on railway wiring, has been spread on the roof and ducts of the stadium to prevent pigeons from roosting.

"We have addressed the issues that we faced during the Indian Open," BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said.

"The sports ministry did a lot to improve the facility and the BWF is 100% happy with the arrangements here."