Why are monkeys used to harvest coconuts?

In some regions of the world, pig-tailed macaques are intentionally bred and trained – often with punishment – to harvest coconuts. In an effort to help compassionate consumers make informed choices, Animal Place reached out to a number of companies that sell coconut oil or other products containing coconuts.

Can monkeys eat coconut?

There are many types of monkeys that eat coconuts. Monkeys typically live in the tropics and have access to coconuts.

How many coconuts can a monkey pick in a day?

1,000 coconuts
Male monkeys are able to pick up to 1,000 coconuts a day, Peta says. It’s thought that a human can pick about 80. It said it also discovered “monkey schools”, where the animals were trained to pick fruit, as well as ride bikes or play basketball for the entertainment of tourists.

What do monkeys like to eat the most?

Most monkeys eat nuts, fruits, seeds and flowers. Some monkeys also eat meat in the form of bird’s eggs, small lizards, insects and spiders.

Do people force monkeys to get coconuts from trees?

Monkeys still forced to pick coconuts in Thailand despite controversy. Pig-tailed macaques are trained to climb trees and pick coconuts on farms throughout southern Thailand. When they’re not working, they’re often kept in chains.

Do monkeys make coconut water?

Coconut water typically comes from coconuts grown on dwarf trees, including the Nam Hom variety, so harvesting them doesn’t require monkey labor. PETA has confirmed, however, that Harmless Harvest is among the companies that don’t use monkey labor for coconut water.

What animal can open a coconut?

The coconut crab is known for its ability to use its massive pincers (chelae) to crack open coconuts.

How do monkeys break open coconuts?

For coconuts that are more difficult to crack, the monkeys select stones that can weigh more than their own body weight. Monkeys select flattened stones or tree trunks to serve as a base on which to crack coconuts, and to those places, they carry the rare large hard stones they find in their surroundings.

Which coconut water uses monkeys?

A PETA investigation has revealed that in Thailand, terrified young monkeys are kept chained, abusively trained, and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts used for the coconut brand Chaokoh. Monkey labor is used in the Thai coconut industry, whereas coconut farms in Brazil, Colombia, and Hawaii don’t use monkeys.

Is monkey Labor a real thing?

Consumers expect coconut milk to be cruelty-free since it doesn’t come from animals, but in reality “there is a lot of cruelty involved in terms of using monkey labor.” PETA has documented how pig-tailed macaques are trained, sometimes in “monkey schools,” to climb trees to pick coconuts.

What do monkeys drink?

Most monkeys and apes typically rely on water sources such as lakes, rivers or other water bodies located on land. In addition, they get their daily requirement of water through their diet. But sometimes, primates resort to other sources of water, such as water accumulated in tree-holes, to satisfy their thirst.

Do monkeys like peanuts?

Yes. Most monkeys are omnivores, so they’ll eat just about anything they can get. That includes nuts. For that matter, a lot of animals will eat nuts if they’re able, because they’re a very nutritious, high-energy food.

How many coconuts can a monkey eat in a day?

Turns out a male monkey can collect an average of 1,600 coconuts per day and a female can get 600, while a human can only collect around 80 per day. It’s also safer for a scampering, height-savvy monkey to pluck and drop the fruit from the trees — up to 80 feet tall — than a human,…

Did you know that monkeys pick coconuts?

If you’ve consumed coconut oil or coconut meat lately, there’s a reasonable chance it was imported from Thailand. And if it was, there’s an even better chance the farmer who grew that coconut had a monkey fetch it from a tall tree. Thailand has been raising and training pigtailed macaques to pick coconuts for around 400 years.

How are monkeys abused for coconut milk?

Monkeys Chained, Abused for Coconut Milk 1 Chained and Driven Insane. In 2019, PETA Asia investigators visited eight farms where monkeys are forced to pick coconuts—including those for one of Thailand’s major coconut milk producers, Chaokoh—as well 2 Cruelly Trained and Teeth Pulled Out. 3 No Tropical Paradise.

Does harmless harvest use monkeys to make their coconut water?

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that monkeys won’t be used. PETA has confirmed, however, that Harmless Harvest is among the companies that don’t use monkey labor for coconut water. PETA maintains a list of brands that don’t use monkey labor and invites Thailand-based coconut companies to provide evidence that they don’t use forced monkey labor.