1 Monkey At the Wheel
According to reports, the monkey boarded the bus with other passengers and refused to sit anywhere but at the front of the vehicle. The driver, known as Mr. Prakesh, let the monkey “help” him to drive. Video footage shows the langur monkey sitting on the steering wheel, with the driver keeping at least one hand on the wheel at all times. Keep reading to learn more and see the video.
2 Thanks For the Ride
The monkey reportedly left the bus when it arrived at its desired destination. The passengers on board the bus apparently had no issue with the furry creature, and didn’t make any complaints. Authorities only found out about the incident when the video went viral, which is when they were forced to act and suspend Mr. Prakesh.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
3 Helping Themselves To Food
Langur monkeys—also known as Hanuman monkeys—are considered sacred in India. Because people keep feeding the monkeys, they become bold and enter homes to take food (and even whiskey). “They usually entered into the offices. And they destroyed many things like … the computers, the wires, the electricity wires,” says Dr. P.K. Sharma, the officer of health in the New Delhi Municipal Council. “But sometimes if the door is closed and if the monkey’s inside, he will make havoc of the room because he feels that he’s imprisoned.”
4 Monkey Menace
Attempts to capture monkeys and send them to shelters didn’t work as the sanctuaries quickly filled to capacity. Sterilization has also been considered but is not deemed a practical solution to the monkey menace. “It’s very difficult to catch a monkey and then operate on him,” says Dr. Sharma.
5 Out Of a Job
Langur monkeys used to be trained by handlers to scare off smaller Rhesus monkeys, a practice that was banned. Instead, people are hired to imitate the monkeys and scare off the pests. “Having the company of a langur was effective. You would do the job better together. It was like a partner,” says former trainer Pramod Kumar. “But now it’s just men, aimlessly running around chasing monkeys.”
