Over 6,500 monkeys relocated to Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in last 5 years: Delhi govt

The Delhi government has said that over 6,500 monkeys rescued by civic bodies from residential, commercial areas across in the city has been shifted to Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in last five years.

The issue of monkey menace in the city was raised by BJP MLA Sanjay Goel through a question in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly winter session.

He sought to know from the government about the policy of catching the monkeys whose population was on the rise, and safely relocate them.

The Delhi government in its reply stated that a total of 6591 monkeys were relocated to Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary from 2021 to 2025.

In 2021, just 198 monkeys were relocated. The number grew in later years, with 1,484 monkeys shifted to the wildlife sanctuary in South Delhi in 2022, 1,643 in 2023, 1,432 in 2024 and 1,534 in 2025, said a reply by Delhi Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

According to the Delhi High Court’s 2024 order, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council were responsible for dealing with the monkey menace.

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The court also noted that after the amendment in the wildlife protection law, the species of monkeys common to Delhi has been “delisted” as a protected species and therefore has to be treated at par with stray animals and directed the MCD and NDMC to remove the monkeys from public parks, hospitals, government offices, residential areas and relocate them to Asola Bhati wildlife sanctuary.

According to an MCD official, a total of 1,121 monkeys were caught in 2025 between April to December by the civic body and relocated to Asola Bhatti mines.

“The monkeys are not neutered by us, they are only caught and relocated by the corporation,” the official said.

The incidents of monkey bites and attack on people specially small children are often reported from the city. With no proper policy in place to check their numbers, the issue has caused concern among the people.

So much so, that langur handlers are hired by the residential colonies and big office buildings to scare of the simians. The handlers mimic voice of langur to scatter away the group of monkeys commonly witnessed loitering around in search of food.