[CrackMonkey] Fight Like Apes!

[Lee Maguire]

Could this lead to a terrifying "Conquest of Planet of the Apes"
scenario, in this reader's opinion - almost certainly, yes.

 http://www.discovery.com/news/earthalert/earthalert.html

                           Monkeys Invade Indian Offices 

                       At least 10,000 monkeys have wreaked havoc in
                       India's capital city of Delhi by taking over offices
                       in government buildings. The primates have stolen
                       food, threatened workers and shredded important
                       documents. Although it is against traditional belief
                       systems in India to kill monkeys, workers have
                       taken to arming themselves with rocks and
                       branches. 

                       The aggressive monkeys swing between ministry
                       offices in the departments of finance, defense and
                       external affairs, and have also been seen in the
                       prime minister's office. Defense Ministry officer I. K.
                       Jha said, "They are moving in very high security
                       areas." 

                       Previously, authorities have addressed the problem
                       by rounding up the monkeys and transporting them
                       to outlying areas, but those regions are now also
                       overpopulated with the primates. 

                       Officials believe there is little that can be done to
                       solve the problem, and many employees come to
                       work fearing attacks. Government employee
                       Surekha Rao said, "I am sometimes faced with
                       groups of monkeys, big huge looking fellows." 

                       Some people have suggested using birth control
                       for the monkeys or creating a park for them. Animal
                       rights activists believe the problem has stemmed
                       from human overpopulation rather than the other
                       way around. Animal rights advocate Iqbal Malik
                       stated, "We have encroached on their homelands,
                       we have taken away their fruits, we have reduced
                       their water sources and we are trapping them from
                       their home range, from their forests, so they are
                       coming to urban areas." 

-- 
Lee Maguire <lee at hexkey.co.uk>