Detail:

Coconut-growing farmers in Karnataka have devised innovative methods to protect their coconut orchards from raiding monkeys. Brief The red-faced monkeys are a matter of concern to the coconut-growing community in the region of Tumkur, in Karnataka, as they are a serious pest, which usually raid the orchards in groups.They pluck far more coconuts than they can eat and play with them tossing them all around in the orchard. Killing the monkeys is forbidden by tradition, and hence the only way to tackle them isto drive the marauders from the orchards. <p> In order to tackle the menace, local farmers devised two innovative methods. In one method, bananas, dried coconut kernel, groundnuts, jaggery, etc., which the moneys are fond of, are neatly packed into tidy parcels and left in the orchard where the monkeys can spotthem. Generally, the monkey troupe is led by a hefty and healthy monkey. The moment the leaderspies a packet of goodies, he opens it and has a hearty repast; since all others in the troupe copyhim, they do likewise. The farmer continues to bait them for several days, but all the while also changes the quality ofthe food packet. Once the monkeys are lulled into security, the farmer springs his surprise: heputs a dead snake the in the packet along with the eatables. When the leader of the group as usual opens the packet and starts eating, he is startled at finding the dead snake and starts yelling with fright. The screaming monkey begins to run away from the orchard, but being too frightenedeven to drop the snake, he continues to hold it with its hands. Even after having run 4 to 5km, can be found to still be clutching the dead snake. Thus scared out of their wits, the troupe will not return to the orchard for a couple of months at least. In another method, the farmer uses a cage made up of either arecanut tree stems or iron mesh,and traps a monkey by placing a food bait in it. A monkey once trapped struggles to free itself but gets exhausted after a few days. The farmer catches the subdued and worn out animal, asby then it is easy to handle, and wraps a dry goat skin around its waits and secures it by stitchin git at the back. The monkey is then set free in the orchard. The goat skin garb gives the monkey a frightful appearance, so that when it approaches other monkeys, they may either shun the weird looking animal or even pick a fight with it. In the process, the entire group gets scattered leaving the spooky goat skin garbed monkey alone in the orchard. Thus spurned, the monkey roams around in the orchard for a few days and goes its way. In one method, keep dried fruits and other treats that the monkeys like to eat in small packets in the orchard. Continue to bait the monkeys with the packets, but gradually reduce the quality of the food packet. When the monkeys are lulled into a sense of security, put a dead snake in the packet along with the eatables which startles the monkeys. In another method, make a cage of either arecanut tree stems or iron mesh, and trap a monkey by placing a food bait in it. A monkey once trapped struggles to free itself but gets exhausted after a few days. Catche the subdued and worn out animal and wrap a dry goat skin around its waist and secure it by stitching at the back. Set the monkey free in the orchard Caution These unusual methods of deception employed against the intelligent primates who raid the coconut orchards in groups are successful in tackling the menace.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Documented by Kannada Version of Honey Bee
Agro-Ecological Zone: Central Karnataka plateau, hot, moist, semi-arid eco-subregion (8.2)
Address: Tumkur
District: Ahmedabad
State: Karnataka
PIN Code 560007

Crop: Coconut
Crop Family: Arecaceae
Crop Scientific Name: (Cocos nucifera L )
Crop Vernacular Name: Nariyel
Ingredients: Food bait, dead snake, a cage made up of either arecanut tree stems or iron mesh and a dry goatskin.

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