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(TOUGH SECURITY: Langur monkeys and snake charmers have been drafted for the Commonwealth Games.)
An army of trained monkeys and snake charmers are being deployed in Delhi to protect athletes at the Commonwealth Games from animal attack.
Highly intelligent langur monkeys have been brought in from miles around the Indian capital to patrol the athletes’ village for packs of the smaller wild bonnet monkeys.
Games officials became concerned after the monkeys created a nuisance around the venues by stealing food and attacking humans.
Some teams have complained that their accommodation was uninhabitable and overrun with animals, after an African athlete found a cobra in his room.
In a separate incident, an adult cobra more than a metre long was found in the tennis stadium, the Hindustan Times reported.
The langur is known for its ferocious attitude and a single langur is often enough to scare off other wildlife including wild monkeys, dogs and even snakes.
An official from the New Delhi Municipal Council told the Hindustan Time it had brough in 10 additional langurs to chase away monkeys from near the Games venues.
"From tomorrow onwards, we will increase the number of langurs from 28 to 38.
The additional langurs will take care of the Games venues and other important areas," said the official.
Also, a team of snake charmers has reportedly been stationed at the village and will be paid 1000 rupees ($23) for each one they catch.
Heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding near the Games Village causing many snakes to seek refuge.
K. S. Mehra, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, was confident Wildlife SOS's snake wranglers would ensure the safety of athletes.
''No snake is harmless but they are very good at catching them and taking them away,'' he said Dog catchers have removed more than 170 stray dogs from the Games village since last week and the municipal authority is reportedly making extra arrangements to prevent monkeys causing disruption at Games-related venues.
More than 10,000 athletes from 71 countries are expected at the Delhi Games which start on October 3.
this could go horribly wrong