Thai media are briefing in defence of farm owners and their use of free monkey labour to harvest their products.
The Nation has today reported that Pud, a three-year-old coconut-picking monkey in Songkhla’s Ban Tung Ree area, also picks bunches of beans for its owner Ked.
“Since some trees are too high for humans to climb, we have trained monkeys to pick other fruits apart from coconuts,” Ked said, adding that a variety of fruit crops in the South are ready to be picked.
As for the report about British supermarkets banning Thai coconut products in response to a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) report claiming that Thailand was abusing monkeys in the coconut industry, Ked said this was false as monkeys in the South are treated like normal family members.
“They are only punished when necessary,” he said. “This is folk wisdom that has been passed down for generations.”
After Pud completes his work, he is usually rewarded with a carton of milk.
Just like some family members.
