2 min readAug 10, 2026 10:10 PM IST
After a video of a langur mimicry artist went viral om Monday as part of the organizers’ plans to keep away animals at the BWF World Championships, set to start next week, India’s badminton star PV Sindhu lauded the effort.
“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort. So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!,” She posted on X with the video.
Trained humans have long been chasing rhesus macaques away in Delhi, since the use of langurs for it is banned under wildlife laws. The profession was the subject of Hindi feature film Eeb Allay Ooo! — an onomatopoeiac title describing the unique noises made to repel monkeys. Four men have been hired to do the same at IG Indoor Stadium for the badminton World Championships.
The unqiue solution comes in the wake of the India Open in January which was briefly disrupted by monkeys in spectator stands, the images making international headlines.
The BWF World Championships are returning to India after 17 years and the both the Badminton Association of India and the Sports Authority of India have combined to give the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium a thorough makeover to prevent the mishaps that drew international criticism during the India Open earlier this year.
Rhesus macaques are believed to be wary of langurs, which are considerably bigger in size, and the mimicry is being used as a deterrent. The use of actual langurs for such activities was banned in 2012.
Earlier this year, even the Delhi Assembly floated a tender to hire mimics to prevent monkeys from entering the area.
(With agency inputs)
