NEW DELHI: The world’s number one airport in service quality, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, became a second home for a monkey who was inside the Terminal-3 building for five days as the agencies concerned failed to catch him. After Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the operator of the airport, approached the government for help, officials tranquillized the monkey on Tuesday afternoon. The simian had traversed the whole terminal building from the domestic to the international area.
“The simian was sighted at multiple places in the international and domestic areas. The wildlife teams were alerted to rescue and relocate it, and they swung into action. After brief appearances of five to ten minutes, the simian would disappear for hours. The rescue operations needed to be done as per the norms with the support of wildlife experts. The animal did not come in contact with any passenger or airport worker at the terminal.” The DIAL spokesperson told The New Indian Express.
Officials claimed that initially DIAL tried to catch the monkey with the help of a local monkey catcher, but when his efforts failed, the operator informed the Union government.“The monkey was spotted by the authorities last week. He was roaming in the area which has premium business-class lounges, Premium Plaza etc. He somehow managed to get food also, but finally, the monkey was tranqullized by government officials and taken away from the IGI airport on Tuesday around 12.30 pm,” an airport official said.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety of passengers and security at the airport as the monkey had entered the restricted Domestic Security Hold Area, which has premium lounges, international brands’ shops, and a food court. The area is close to the aircraft parking area gates and departure piers.