Vellore Collector asks Forest Department if monkeys can be trained to pluck coconuts for farmers

Officials say written permission from Chief Wildlife Warden is required for the task

When Vellore Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian asked the Forest Department official about the possibility of training wild monkeys to pluck coconuts in the district’s groves, those in attendance at the farmers’ grievances meeting held at the Collectorate in Vellore burst into laughter.

But the Collector, it turned out, was serious in his recommendation in using the monkeys for the laborious task. The issue came up for discussion when farmers from Gudiyatham demanded compensation from the district administration after troops of monkeys damaged the coconut groves in the border town. “I am serious about the idea. The Forest Department should explore the possibility of training monkeys for the job,” the Collector said.

Forest Range Officers for Amrithi, Vellore town and Odugathur were among those present at the meeting. Officials said currently, wild monkeys were classified under Schedule 4 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Any controlled experimentation of wild species in the region should be done only after a written permission is obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden.

At present, compensation for crop damage, livestock, properties and human lives was allowed for all wild species, including spotted deer, sloth bears, wild boars, elephants, leopards, wild dogs and peacocks, commonly found in Vellore region, covering Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai districts. However, officials of the Forest Departments said wild monkeys were not covered under this list. As a result, farmers had to bear the loss of the crops that get damaged by the monkeys.

The monkey population has doubled in these areas in recent years, with the animals migrating to the outskirts of key towns, such as Vellore, Arcot, Katpadi and Gudiyatham, due to a shortage of food in deep forest areas.

As a result, forest officials said roadside tamarind trees and coconut groves in farmlands had become hunting grounds for these animals. “Wild species, including monkeys, cannot be involved in such an exercise. Other feasible alternatives should be explored to prevent them (monkeys) from damaging coconut groves,” Prince Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO), Vellore division, told The Hindu.