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If monkeys attack Donald Trump's entourage, it will be a disaster': Indians fear not enough has been done to protect the President from primate 'terror' ahead of his Taj Mahal visit
PUBLISHED: 04:46 EST, 19 February 2020 | UPDATED: 09:53 EST, 19 February 2020
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Indians have voiced fears that Donald Trump could be attacked by monkeys when he visits the Taj Mahal next week.
Monkeys harassing tourists have become a major problem at India's most famous landmark, with guards deploying catapults to fend them off.
Trump will have the elite protection of the Secret Service when he visits on February 24, but locals fear that a large swarm of monkeys could be impossible to control.
'If such a large troop of monkeys attacks Donald Trump's entourage, it will be a disaster,' one local resident told India Today.
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A monkey searches for food on the river bank near the Taj Mahal in India, where Donald Trump and his wife Melania are expected to visit next week
One member of the Central Industrial Security Force said the catapults used by guards would be 'completely ineffective' against a large gang of monkeys.
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The local forestry department has also been called in to keep the monkeys at bay during Trump's expected visit, it is believed.
There are around 500 to 700 macaque monkeys living in and around the monument, it is believed.
The animals are known to forage for food around the entrance, where visitors' bags are searched and food sometimes thrown away.
+3
Monkeys harassing tourists have become a major problem at India's most famous landmark, with guards deploying catapults to fend them off
+3
Donald Trump (pictured yesterday) will have the elite protection of the Secret Service when he visits, but locals fear that a large swarm of monkeys could be impossible to control
In May 2018, two French tourists were injured by monkeys as they took selfies at the Taj Mahal.
Experts say the animals are becoming more aggressive as an expanding city encroaches on their natural habitats.
Brij Bhushan, head of the Taj Mahal security force, said last year that police had received locally-made slingshots to fend off the monkeys.
'We found that monkeys get scared by just seeing us brandishing these slingshots,' he said at the time.
Built by a Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal has 25,000 daily visitors, rising to 80,000 during the peak tourist season.
The Uttar Pradesh government said Trump and his wife Melania would visit the Taj Mahal on Monday evening, local media says.
Trump is leaving for India on Monday on his first official trip to the country, with negotiators working on a trade deal.
The United States is India's second largest trade partner after China, with their goods and services trade hitting a record $142.6 billion in 2018.
Read more:
_Agent Monkey!
- Monkeys harassing tourists have become a major problem at India's Taj Mahal
- Donald Trump is expected to visit the landmark on Monday with his wife Melania
- Locals fear that a large troop of monkeys could be impossible to control
PUBLISHED: 04:46 EST, 19 February 2020 | UPDATED: 09:53 EST, 19 February 2020
- e-mail
58
View comments
Indians have voiced fears that Donald Trump could be attacked by monkeys when he visits the Taj Mahal next week.
Monkeys harassing tourists have become a major problem at India's most famous landmark, with guards deploying catapults to fend them off.
Trump will have the elite protection of the Secret Service when he visits on February 24, but locals fear that a large swarm of monkeys could be impossible to control.
'If such a large troop of monkeys attacks Donald Trump's entourage, it will be a disaster,' one local resident told India Today.
+3
A monkey searches for food on the river bank near the Taj Mahal in India, where Donald Trump and his wife Melania are expected to visit next week
One member of the Central Industrial Security Force said the catapults used by guards would be 'completely ineffective' against a large gang of monkeys.
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The local forestry department has also been called in to keep the monkeys at bay during Trump's expected visit, it is believed.
There are around 500 to 700 macaque monkeys living in and around the monument, it is believed.
The animals are known to forage for food around the entrance, where visitors' bags are searched and food sometimes thrown away.
+3
Monkeys harassing tourists have become a major problem at India's most famous landmark, with guards deploying catapults to fend them off
+3
Donald Trump (pictured yesterday) will have the elite protection of the Secret Service when he visits, but locals fear that a large swarm of monkeys could be impossible to control
In May 2018, two French tourists were injured by monkeys as they took selfies at the Taj Mahal.
Experts say the animals are becoming more aggressive as an expanding city encroaches on their natural habitats.
Brij Bhushan, head of the Taj Mahal security force, said last year that police had received locally-made slingshots to fend off the monkeys.
'We found that monkeys get scared by just seeing us brandishing these slingshots,' he said at the time.
Built by a Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal has 25,000 daily visitors, rising to 80,000 during the peak tourist season.
The Uttar Pradesh government said Trump and his wife Melania would visit the Taj Mahal on Monday evening, local media says.
Trump is leaving for India on Monday on his first official trip to the country, with negotiators working on a trade deal.
The United States is India's second largest trade partner after China, with their goods and services trade hitting a record $142.6 billion in 2018.
Read more:
_Agent Monkey!
