Monkey Thieves

For the past few months Jaipur's Galta Gang have managed to keep their lives pretty much in the balance. But as the world-wide economy plummets one troop of wild-living rhesus macaques are about to pay the price for their luxury lifestyle. The Galta Gang now face a big problem. Not only is there less food on offer at the temple, as the troop numbers expand there are also more mouths to feed. The little food that is offered by pilgrims is seized by Rani, Kamal and her immediate family, a sign that friction and a divide in the troop has already started. It's a time where friendships are challenged; lives placed on the line and family bonds tested to the limit.

Galta Temple can no longer support such a massive troop and so the Galta Gang undergo a process of fission. The mother group stays at the temple and the splinter group must find new digs. Monkeys can either play safe, keep their rank and stay at the temple, or take a risk and join the splinter group in search of a new and better home and possibly massively increase their rank. Previously middle rankers Bippin, Yash and Tito together form the core of the new group. They celebrate their new rank by launching a raid on a local school. The children chase the monkeys off losing their packed lunches in the process.

Even Jaipur's monkeys are affected by the global credit crunch. As money becomes tight for the human residents of Jaipur, free handouts to the temple monkeys become even scarcer. When this happens, macaque troops undergo a process called fission: the group splits into two. This is because the territory can no longer support such a massive troop. Rani and the Galta Gang hierarchy continue to capitalize on temple handout but its back to school for Bipin and the splinter group exiles as they head for the safety of the suburbs. But just as their chances of finding a new base begin to fall apart, a ray of hope suddenly appears on the horizon.

Evicted from the Langur suburbs, Bippin's splinter group is reduced to roaming Jaipur's streets in search of a new territory they can call home. At the moment they are reduced to stealing from other monkey's territories- be they macaque or langur. If they don't find an available place, they may have to fight to displace a weaker group.

A sentry monkey from Bippin's new group has found what seems to be an available territory- a small hospital. A recce party is sent out to investigate. The monkeys quench their thirst by drinking from patient's saline drips before raiding the nurse's station. All looks good so the rest of the new troop move in…only to be discovered by returning members of the hospital's resident troop who have been out raiding a restaurant nearby. It's battle stations.

It's not only Bippin's splinter group who are forced to live the streets. Small groups of bachelor males broken off from other larger groups in search of mates are also on the patrol. These are violent bruisers. Quick to resort to violence they give Bippin's group a serious lesson in battle-tactics. War-weary and demoralized, Bippin's group move ever onwards in search of a new home.

Rani's Galta Gang pulls off a cool house burglary. Meanwhile, the streets of Jaipur get much more dangerous as monkey catchers multiply.

A truck arrives in the city carrying a stowaway and Galta gang's renegade Zamir is back in Jaipur.

The splinter group arrives at one of Jaipur's 5 star hotels. They play amongst the soft pool towels & the youngsters frolic in the trees. But the residents finally complain about them.

The hotel calls a group of monkey catchers who manage to capture several members of the splinter group. The captured monkeys are moved to a reserve called Asola sanctuary 70 miles from the city.