Trained monkeys help locals collect coconuts in southern Thailand

Pig-tailed monkeys are trained in a specialized school in the Surat Thani province in southern Thailand for half a year. The trainers teach them to twist coconuts from the tree quickly at a height of several dozen meters. First the monkeys are trained on the ground and then they are allowed to climb the palms. A few lessons are dedicated to possible problem solving. For instance, the monkey is taught what to do if the rope it is attached to becomes knotted around a branch and restricts his work.

Locals say the monkeys have been used to pick fruit in this province for hundreds of years. But it was not until the 1950s that trainers started to teach monkeys tricks that could help farmers.