‘Monkey police’ armed with catapults will protect Donald Trump from the rabid animals when he visits Taj Mahal during India visit
- As many as 700 rhesus macaques live at the 17th century mausoleum in Agra
- Trump is due to visit the monument next week during a two-day tour in India
- It is feared a possible encounter with a monkey could derail a future trade deal
An extra patrol of ‘monkey police’ armed with catapults will protect Donald Trump against the rabid animals when he visits the Taj Mahal during his visit to India next week.
As many as 700 rhesus macaques live among the 17th century mausoleum’s walls and gardens in the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and often attack and injure tourists.
It is feared that a potential encounter with a monkey by the US President could derail Narendra Modi’s hopes of agreeing a large trade deal with Donald Trump.
An extra patrol will be deployed to protect Trump against 700 rhesus macaques when he visits the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, next week
The animals have reportedly been terrorising tourists at the historical site. Two French tourists had to be treated for rabies in 2018 after they were bitten while taking a selfie
‘Removing monkeys is not our duty but we are taking precautions by giving catapults to six of our officers,’ one senior security officer at the Taj told the Times.
An attempt to drive the animals out of the historical site altogether had proved futile, local police said.
Guards have been armed with slingshots at the national monument for two years, following the death of a baby boy and two French tourists needing to be treated for rabies after they were bitten by a monkey. A Colombian woman also had her purse stolen and torn up by the monkeys.
Belgian tourist Molly Dedobbeleer, was left with scratches, bite marks, and needing injections after being attacked by the monkeys in September last year.
‘Initially, one monkey attacked me and then many others joined it,’ she told The Times of India. ‘Luckily, security personnel standing nearby saved me’.
The monkeys had attacked after she decided to stop and take their picture.
A Colombian women also had her money taken and ripped up by a monkey at the Taj Mahal
A Belgian woman said she was attacked by monkeys at the Taj Mahal after taking their picture
The decision to recruit further guards comes after Indians had voiced fears the president could be targeted by the animals.
A member of the Central Industrial Security Force also said that the catapults used by the guards would be ‘completely ineffective’ if a large troop of monkeys decided to attack the president’s entourage.
‘The terror of the monkeys is so pervasive that women and children are scared of going up on the roof of their houses, which have almost been taken over by monkeys,’ said one official.
To make Trump’s trip run smoothly, India has also been pouring fresh water into the Yamuna river that runs alongside the Taj Mahal to help stifle its smell, caused by raw sewage and waste being tipped into the waterway.
The river is so polluted in some places that no marine life can survive in it.
Indian officials are hastily building a wall to reportedly shield President Trump from the sight of the nation’s infamous slums as he travels through Ahmedabad next Monday
A wall has also been built to block off a slum from the view of a parade scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad. India has insisted that this is a ‘security measure’ but locals have said the money should be spent improving their area instead.
Trump is due to touch down in India on Monday for a two-day visit with his wife Melania. He will be treated to a grand tour in Ahmedabad, a visit to Mahatma Ghandi’s former home and will also be taken to the famous Taj Mahal as India negotiates a future trade deal.
The President has been considering a trade deal with the Asian powerhouse for some time, but has recently indicated that it may only be signed after the election.