While the civic bodies of Delhi might not have managed to keep the monkeys at bay, the Delhi Zoo has found a solution to the monkey problem. Kaalu the tamed langur (ape) who was rescued from a juggler about a year ago is Delhi Zoo's volunteer to keep the monkeys away. Kaalu roams around in the zoo during the day and goes back to the enclosure for food. He eats and rests with the other pair of ape in their enclosure.
Kaalu was brought to the Delhi Zoo about a year ago. It was staying with the other two langurs in the enclosures. However last year, in the month of August, Kaalu taking support of the wall of the enclosure managed to jump out. That was when his journey of becoming the warden started. "On the first
day as he stepped out of the enclosure all the monkeys in the vicinity escaped. It was a tough task for us to put it back in the cell," said one of the keepers of the enclosures.
However soon it became a routine exercise for Kaalu. He would jump out of the enclosure and would roam around freely in the zoo. It came back to the enclosure by the evening for food and a secured shelter. Over the days the zoo authorities realised that with Kaalu jumping around from one tree to another, the monkeys that were creating a nuisance in the zoo premises have escaped.
The monkeys from the Bhairon Temple situated on the Bhairon Marg next to the zoo would hop into the zoo. "While they would enter into some of the enclosures, they were a nuisance for the zoo visitors. We had complains of monkeys snatching food from the visitors and at times even biting them," said the curator of the Zoo RA Khan.
However with Kaalu moving around in the zoo, the monkeys have left the area. At times they only come near the store house of the zoo searching for food.
The zoo authorities feel that since Kaalu was a tamed ape, it does not run around chasing people and comes back home for food and shelter. "He knows that he will get food in the enclosure and will be taken care off there," said Dr N Panneer Selvam, the Zoo vet. Selvam also said that while they let Kaalu roam around freely, they ensure that he is in good health and does not carry any infection. "We monitor his health and give him the same food and medicine like the other inmates in the enclosure. Since he is allowed to move about freely we are watchful about his health conditions," said the doctor.