Organisers of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New-Delhi have hired a team of about 40 large grey langur monkeys to chase away smaller rhesus monkeys, which have been breaking into the Games' accommodation buildings and stealing from athletes’ rooms.
In addition, 50 traditional snake charmers have been employed after an athlete found a live cobra in his room.
It has also been reported that an emergency team of cowboys have been brought on board in anticipation of a demonstration by a farmers’ group, which has threatened to drive herds of cows and buffalos into the city.
However, it is essential that organisers of the Commonwealth Games do not monkey around when it comes to motivating these unusual workers 'employed' to protect athletes from intrusive members of the animal kingdom.
The aggressive monkeys are controlled on leads by specially trained handlers, who release them once their smaller mischievous cousins are seen.
The EB team suggests that as an 'employee benefit' the langur monkeys, which are often used in India to keep other monkeys in check in public places, could be given free tickets to watch the gymnastics part of the competition.
View video of the monkeys in action