Teaching monkeys how to harvest coconuts at the Monkey Training College

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OUTLOOK - Thursday 11 July 2002

Monkey business!

 

Teaching monkeys how to harvest coconuts is all part of a day's work at the

Monkey Training College

 

Story by CHOMPOO TRAKULLERTSATHIEN, Picture by SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT

 

 

For over four decades, Somporn Sae-Khow has dedicated himself to training

his often naughty students to be professional coconut collectors.

It's commencement day at the small boarding school in the Kanchanadit

district of Surat Thani province, and six high school graduates are saying

farewell to their teacher. Not a word is spoken. The air is filled with the

grief of sad partings.

 

The old mentor embraces each of his pupils, whom he has loved and cared for

as if they were his own children.

 

One graduate places a hand on the teacher's breast and looks at him with

sorrowful eyes.

 

Although concerned about his departing students, Somporn Sae-Khow is also

proud that he has accomplished his mission of producing yet another batch of

professional, skilled monkeys for a market in which they are in great demand

as coconut collectors.

 

For over four decades, Uncle Somporn, a ``monkey trainer'' as he is fondly

called, has dedicated himself to teaching and training several thousand

pig-tailed monkeys or Ling Kung to pluck off only brown coconuts and put

them in sacks before helping to load them onto the car that will transport

them to the coconut market.

 

Well-trained monkeys can also place bags of strychnine on top of coconut

trees to eliminate the rats which can damage the green fruit. They are even

capable of performing tricks, including riding on motorcycles and handing

over car keys, hats or boots to their masters.

 

In the province of Surat Thani, where coconuts are the staple crop, monkeys

_ especially well-trained ones which know how to collect the right fruit _

are a valuable source of labour. Although there were attempts in the past to

teach the animals, it was not done in a systematic way until 1959, when

Somporn opened the Monkey Training College, the first of its kind in

Thailand.

 

The college offers four different levels: kindergarten, elementary, high

school, and undergraduate. Those who finish high school are ready for work

on a coconut plantation. Those needing to hone more advanced skills need to

take undergraduate studies. (See sidebar for more details.)

 

``Many people love to call me the `monkey teacher'. Some even look down upon

me, teasing me, saying that maybe I'm a monkey myself, which is why I can

understand and speak to the monkeys. But those people don't bother me at

all,'' he said, smiling.

 

Somporn's passion and love for monkeys is not hard to see. He says his

students are his sons and daughters. ``I'm so happy with my work, even

though my students are not human. When it comes to learning, there's no

discrimination as to whether the learners are animal or human. We can share

our love and understanding with each another,'' he added.

 

According to Somporn, coconut trees and monkeys have been an integral part

of communities in the South for centuries. Each day, several hundred tonnes

of coconuts are harvested. The benefits of training monkeys to harvest those

coconuts are obvious. Coconut trees can be quite tall, and those climbing

them put their lives _ and limbs _ at risk, should they fall. Monkeys are

much more agile than humans, and are, naturally, perfect climbers.

 

``All we need to do is train them so they pick only the brown, ripe

coconuts, not the green ones,'' the trainer said.

 

He added that Thailand was currently exporting several thousand tonnes of

coconuts to several countries. ``Our output is rivalling that of Indonesia

and the Philippines. What the country needs are competent coconut

harvesters. We have to develop the monkey labourers to be versatile as

well,'' said Somporn.

 

One skilful monkey can pluck about 1,000 coconuts a day. By comparison, a

strong man can collect only about 200 a day.

 

Once trained, the pig-tailed monkeys are regarded as highly efficient

labourers who can earn huge profits for their masters.

The popularity of Somporn's boarding school for monkeys has spread far and

wide. Increasing numbers of coconut plantation owners in the southern part

of the country are sending their monkeys to the boarding school to learn the

art of plucking ripe coconuts.

 

The fee for a one-year training course is about 20,000 baht _ not cheap, but

many say it's worth it. They end up losing more than that if they use

inexperienced monkeys, which pick both the green and brown fruits _ the

green coconuts are useless and must be thrown away, which is a waste of time

and resources.

 

" Some people take their monkeys out to gather coconuts and abuse them with

curse words and severe punishments. They swear at them, calling them stupid

if they harvest green coconuts. These people don't try to discover the root

cause as to why the animals keep doing the wrong thing.

 

" A great number of monkeys become ill and some die because of the cruel

treatment they receive. That's a horrible thing to do to animals. It's

unfair because those animals are trying to help us and serve us, " Somporn

said.

It was the sight of monkeys being beaten and tortured by their masters which

stirred the then-17-year-old Somporn to do something to help save the poor

creatures from such ill-treatment _ hence the establishment of the Monkey

Training College.

 

Inexperienced, knowing nothing about monkeys, Somporn started from scratch.

Nature served as an outdoor classroom where he could absorb a wealth of

important information on monkeys by observing their behaviour. " What I

gleaned from the wild quenched my curiosity and satisfied my doubts. Mother

monkeys teach their babies to be familiar with the green things of the

natural world.

 

They are not allowed to swing themselves on brittle, brown twigs, because

they can fall _ that's why they approach green fruits quite naturally, "

Somporn explained.

 

During his knowledge-gathering field trips, Somporn learned about coconuts

too _ their soft and tough parts, how to pluck them off a stem properly.

 

Armed with this basic information, Somporn turned his home into a boarding

school where students remain until they graduate.

 

He is the school's only teacher. His duties range from cleaning the

" classroom " , feeding his students, giving medicine to sick monkeys,

preparing the educational materials, to taking his charges out for strolls.

 

Unlike other institutes, this home school is set in a verdant coconut

plantation where students get hands-on experience in a real-world setting.

The open-air classroom is demarcated with a piece of wood.

 

Monkeys between two to three years old are perfect for training. With regard

to female monkeys, only those at the age of four or five are acceptable,

because their teeth are not yet sharp enough to harm the instructor.

 

The maximum number of students in one classroom is normally limited to six.

Somporn relies on individualised instruction, depending on each individual's

learning ability. Normally, he trains each student for half an hour.

 

" I use the one-on-one approach because different students have different

competence levels. I accept all pupils, whether they are smart or not. They

all have the right to learn. "

 

The main curriculum of the college revolves around training monkeys to pluck

only brown coconuts from a coconut tree. Somporn's teaching techniques

include conditioned learning, modelling, behaviour modification, and

simulations.

 

" I place brown coconuts around the classroom so the monkeys will become

familiar with them. I show them how to swirl and pluck off the fruit from

the stem. And all students must have the real experience of climbing up a

coconut tree and gathering the fruit, " he explained.

 

Somporn focuses on learning by doing. All students must practise the same

lesson repeatedly, until they can do it on their own.

 

The first educational media is a wooden box with coconut fruits attached to

it on a steel axis. Students must learn how to swirl the fruits through this

box.

Somporn's golden rule in training the usually fierce creatures is to treat

them with love and extra care. He has never punished any student.

 

" We can't force them to do something if they are unwilling. Punishment only

makes the situation worse. We can always start again on the next day. In the

classroom, students are allowed to learn and also to play. Playing is a form

of learning too, " Somporn said.

 

In addition to love and care, bridging the gap between strangers is also

crucial. Somporn feeds all the animals himself, even gives them baths and

takes them to bed.

 

" These practices help establish a friendship between the students and

myself. They really work. It takes only a few weeks for me to get close to

them. After that, they place their trust in me _ we become friends. "

 

Somporn said degrees and certificates play no role at his college because

they don't ensure the competency of the student. The only real proof is in

the pudding _ the ability of the student to demonstrate his skill. Thus,

before leaving the school, students must be tested as whether or not they

can collect only brown coconuts from a coconut tree, and this must be done

in front of their owners. If they pass this test, they can go home. If they

fail the exam, they have to remain for additional training, but their owners

need not pay for the additional work.

 

" That's only fair. What I emphasise is turning out practical students, not

incapable ones with a string of degrees because it would be an immense waste

of both time and money to produce monkeys without the skills to work on a

coconut plantation. "

 

Before taking their monkeys home, the owners must spend time at the college

themselves, familiarising themselves with their newly-trained charges. This

period usually lasts about 15 days. " They have to feed them, give them a

bath, take them for a walk, order them to collect coconuts. In the interests

of team work, they need to learn about each other. The owners have to learn

how to communicate with their monkeys. "

 

There are about 15,000 monkeys currently being used to harvest coconuts in

Surat Thani province, many of them graduates of the Monkey Training College.

 

One of Somporn's outstanding students is 16-year-old Kai Nui, the superstar

of many national events. Kai Nui is the only student who finished the

undergraduate level. He is capable of performing several tricks, such as

holding a sign board, which he did during the Tapi National Games, and

joining with parades, sitting on the back of a motorcycle, or collecting

other kinds of fruits or using a spoon.

 

Somporn has virtually adopted him as his own son.

 

" Kai Nui is so wonderful. He can do several things. I love him with all my

heart, " said Somporn.

 

At the end of the day, Somporn loves to sit on his coconut plantation with

his students.

 

" For centuries, monkeys have been chained in orchards, exploited or abused

by their masters. But we should be grateful for this creature that has long

served us. We should respect them. And to show them our gratitude, we should

treat them with love and care. "

 

The new batch of graduates takes their leave.

A new batch awaits.

 

Monkey business, indeed!

 

 

 

 

 

THE CURRICULUM

 

Like conventional schools, the Monkey Training College offers different

educational levels for students, as follows:

 

 

 

 

KINDERGARTEN

 

The curriculum for kindergarten students involves preparation for readiness.

Students have to sharpen fundamental skills including how to use their hands

properly, how to develop their eyesight, how to follow orders, how to

familiarise themselves with their environment and how to swirl the coconut

fruit at a certain angle.

 

 

 

 

ELEMENTARY

 

At this level students are trained to spin coconuts with both hands. When

they are skilful enough, they hone advanced skills such as swirling coconuts

while standing up or jumping. Next, they have to climb up to the top of a

bar, and swirl coconuts with their hands. Then they have to use their feet

to remove them from the top of the bar.

 

 

 

 

HIGH SCHOOL

 

Senior students must learn how to collect coconuts plucked by juniors and

put them in a sack. They also learn to help their master carry a bunch of

coconuts hanging from a shoulder pole. Next, they learn to remove the

coconuts from the sack and stack them in a pick-up truck. In addition, they

have to learn how to hand over coconuts to their master. Students must also

be able to scoop water from a pond.

 

 

 

UNDERGRADUATE

 

This curriculum provides for more advanced skills. Undergraduate students

can swim to collect the coconuts in water. Students at this level must also

be able to pick other kinds of fruits, including papaya or pomelo and carry

them back to the ground. They must be able to climb a tree with a basket to

collect small fruits from the treetop. What's more, they must be able to

prepare tools such as boots, knife, hat, and rope for their master, before

going out to the orchard.

For their own safety, monkeys must be trained to sit on the back of a

motorcycle properly so they won't fall off. To protect the coconut

plantation from rats, undergraduate students must be able to place a

strychnine bag on the top of a coconut tree.

 

The curriculum also includes eating etiquette. The student will not be

allowed to eat anything if not commanded to do so. This is a safety

precaution because a legion of monkeys die yearly after eating fruits

contaminated with pesticides.