Cutting monkeys to size, zipline style in Kerala
Farmers in Kerala's Idukki district have successfully used a makeshift zipline system with puppets to deter Bonnet macaques from damaging vegetable crops. This low-cost innovation is being considered by neighboring farmers as a solution to rising human-wildlife conflict.
Why it matters
It showcases grassroots innovation in addressing agricultural crop loss caused by wildlife, a growing concern for rural farming communities.
When Bonnet macaques began threatening cool-season vegetable farms at Vattavada in Idukki, an innovative idea from a farm owner and his worker helped drive the animals away.
K.V. Subrahmany, a plantation worker, devised a makeshift zipline system rigged with puppets across the farm. The idea struck him after seeing a zipline tourism setup nearby, which he adapted to deter the intruding primates.
Farm owner V.P.S. Sethuraman noted that the monkey menace poses a severe threat to local farmers in Vattavada.
“Large numbers of monkeys arrive from the nearby forest and completely destroy vegetable crops across farms. When my worker noticed the tourism zipline, he shared the idea, and we planned a temporary setup. We secured the zipline using two small iron bars and mounted puppets on it,” Sethuraman said.
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