INDONESIA: Pig-tailed macaques help farmers pick coconuts during harvest time in Sumatra

Record ID: 862388

  • Title: INDONESIA: Pig-tailed macaques help farmers pick coconuts during harvest time in Sumatra
  • Date: 29th October 2004
  • Summary: (L!3)PARIAMAN, SUMATRA, IND ONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS: COCONUT TREES (2 SHOTS) SCU: MONKEYS GROOMING (2 SHOTS) CU: OF BERUK'S EYES
  • Embargoed: 13th November 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIAMAN, SUMATRA, INDONESIA
  • City:
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA9TNQM9I0YLH8RK4XAWNWH2QW4
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Pig-tailed macaques help farmers pick coconuts during harvest time in Sumatra.
    Residents of Pariaman regency -- one of the coconut-growing areas in West Sumatra province -- train pig-tailed macaques, locally known as 'beruks' to help pick coconuts during harvest time.
    Easily distinguished by its short tail, the pig-tailed macaque (mamaca nemestrina) is of stocky build with creamy-brown fur on the back, white underparts, and dark brown fur on the crown. Owner Syaharudin Sutan Mudo rents his trained beruks to residents during harvest time that usually runs every two months throughout the year.
    Training takes between two to three weeks for the monkeys to become adept at climbing trees, plucking the coconuts and throwing them on the ground for humans to collect.
    "I have to train the monkeys so that they are able to help me earn some money," said Syaharudin while watching one of his beruks at work.
    The clever monkeys are also trained to obey direction from their owners in choosing a ripe coconut.
    Syaharudin, who has been training and renting monkeys for more than 20 years, charges around 40,000 rupiah ($4.4) per tree for the services of his beruks.
    He feeds his beruks cooked rice, bananas, and two eggs a day to keep them fit.
    Pig tailed macaquesspecies ranges from Eastern India to most of mainland Southeast Asia to Sumatra and Borneo islands. They are in great demand in Southeast Asia for coconut picking.
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