Bounty-hunters snarl Delhi traffic catching cows

A cash reward on the heads of New Delhi’s stray cows has triggered road chaos in the Indian capital as bounty hunters on motorbikes compete to round up cattle roaming the streets, The Hindustan Times said on Saturday.

The Delhi High Court passed an order on Thursday instructing authorities to offer 2,000 rupees per cow – an average Indian’s monthly salary – to rid the city of the traffic menace.

With cows sacred to Hindus, who make up the bulk of India’s billion-plus population, an estimated 35,000 cows and buffalo roam free in the capital, sharing space with hordes of monkeys, camels and stray dogs.

Traffic routinely comes to a halt on highways to allow animals to amble across, leading to accidents.