The monkeys chomp away maize, vegetables and other crops in several parts of Telangana, leaving farmers in distress. But Chintapally Bhaskar Reddy (61) of Nagasamudrala Village of Koheda Mandal in Siddipet district, 125 km from Hyderabad, had a disruptive plan for them.
As stuffed toys of tigers and mobbing failed to scare the simians, Mr. Reddy hit on a different plan after a visit to a drama in Hyderabad. A sloth bear attire used by the troupe triggered his imagination to use it as an anti-monkey adaptation. He ordered one for ₹8,000.
He got the “sloth bear” costume stitched and asked his farm laborers to don it and patrol the area. It began to scare away monkeys like never before.
As evenings descend, his farmhand Ch. Chandram (35) dons the “suit” and strolls the periphery of the farms warding off the monkey groups. As Mr. Chandram gets weary in the heat, another farmhand takes over.
Mr. Bhaskar’s idea seemed to have had the desired results as other farmers are adopting it. As his wife Rajeshwari (50) leads the women farm hands for vegetable harvest in the afternoon, the smiles on their faces says it all!
Bear decoy: Monkeys can destroy crops such as this in a matter of minutes. Chintapally Bhaskar Reddy, a farmer of Nagasamudrala Village in Koheda Mandal of Siddipet district, 125 km from Hyderabad, uses people in bear costume to scare simians away.
A breather: The ‘bear ‘ takes a break.
Target area: Finding a suitable place to position the ‘bear’.
Ready to go: The farmer helps his farmhand Chandram to don the attire for morning patrol.
Empty hands: Fleeing from the field, a troop of monkeys get on the road nearby.
Standing tall: Perched atop a mound, the ‘bear’ is an imposing figure.
Quick learners: A stuffed tiger toy on a tree to ward away pests. But the monkeys figured out this trick.
Full of muscle: The ‘bear’ has to look formidable and convincing enough to have any impact
Saved harvest: Bhaskar Reddy and his wife Rajeshwari with a basketful of ridge gourd, after saving the crop from the monkey menace.
Doing the rounds: The farmer and the bear.