Gurgaon: Are you keeping or deploying langurs to drive away monkeys? Think again. In an advisory issued to the district administration, the forest department has warned that doing so to scare away monkeys in residential, commercial and other urban areas — without specific permission — is prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.The advisory, dated Nov 4, was issued by Haryana deputy conservator of forests Jhalkar Uyake after the department received reports of individuals indulging in such activities. The advisory has asked individuals, housing societies, commercial establishments and other organisations not to capture or trap langurs from the wild or engage anyone to procure or arrange them for deterring monkeys. It has also said the use of wild langurs as a means of managing monkey-related problems should not be encouraged or facilitated.Residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), housing societies, market associations and commercial establishments have been asked to sensitise their members and residents about the legal provisions and refrain from facilitating such practices. The police department and Municipal Corporation Faridabad have also been asked to sensitise their field formations and coordinate with the forest department in dealing with such instances.The advisory has asked the public to promptly report suspected illegal capture, keeping, transportation or exploitation of langurs to the forest department. The northern plains grey/Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) is included in Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, as amended in 2022. Section 9 of the Act prohibits hunting of animals listed in Schedules I and II, except as specifically permitted under its provisions. The definition of hunting under Section 2(16) also includes capturing and trapping wild animals.Accordingly, capturing or trapping langurs from the wild, or procuring them for keeping or deploying them to deter monkeys, is not permissible without specific permission or exceptions provided under the Act, the advisory says. Any instance of unlawful capture, procurement, possession, transportation or exploitation of langurs will be examined under the applicable provisions of the Act, including penal provisions under Section 51, wherever an offence is established.