Makeshift zipline with puppets scares monkeys from Kerala farm

A farm owner and a worker in Vattavada, Idukki, have devised a low-cost zipline system with puppets to drive away Bonnet macaques from vegetable farms. The idea came from worker K.V. Subrahmany after he saw a tourism zipline nearby. Owner V.P.S. Sethuraman told The Hindu that the monkey menace destroys vegetable crops across farms, with large numbers arriving from the nearby forest.

The temporary setup uses two iron bars and puppets mounted on a cable. When monkeys are spotted, Subrahmany pulls the line, sending the puppets sliding rapidly. The sudden movement and noise startle the monkeys, which flee immediately. Sethuraman said the monkeys have not entered his farm since installation, but they now gather in neighbouring farms and damage crops there.

Neighbouring farmers plan to adopt similar measures. A 45-day Forest Department drive last year identified Bonnet macaques, Malabar giant squirrels, and wild boars as primary culprits for crop loss in the state. In 2022, the Cumbummettu police station had used rubber snakes to scare monkeys, but the animals eventually realised the decoys were fake.