Here’s How to Drive Away Monkeys in Mt. Arjuno without Killing Them

When forests of Mt. Arjuno, East Java, got converted for farming, conflict began to arise between farmers and Long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis). The monkeys naturally occur in the area are now considered pests and are being widely hunted.

"There are hundreds of monkeys raiding the fields and destroy people's crop, like corns, cassavas, or vegetables," said Purnadi, one of the farmers from around R Soerjo Grand Forest Park.

Farmers have tried many ways to get rid of the monkeys such as employing watch dogs, bogeymen, and finally by hunting down the monkeys. None of these worked, and more farmers armed themselves to kill the 'pests.'

Luckily, not all farmers chose this method. Some of them have invented a simple tool made from PVC pipes combined with magnets and methyl, which could generate loud explosion sound.

"This sound will scare the monkeys away, but will not kill them," said Ponidi, another farmer.

PROFAUNA has been working on educating people around R Soerjo Grand Forest Park and Mt. Arjuno about primate conservation, and we highly appreciate this innovation.

"For whatever reason, their farms used to be the monkeys' habitat. So it is the farmers who have to learn to live in harmony with primates like monkeys and langurs," said the founder of PROFAUNA, Rosek Nursahid.

Rosek, who is also a primatologist, added "We will support and encourage the local farmers so that they would stop killing primates at all. This simple means they are using right now has been proven effective."