Coimbatore : With the Government Kallar Fruit Garden enjoying a bountiful jackfruit season, monkeys are having a real feast.
Coimbatore : With the Government Kallar Fruit Garden enjoying a bountiful jackfruit season, monkeys are having a real feast.
The Horticulture Department's 25-acre fruit garden in Kallar near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district was set up owing to favourable climatic conditions in the foothills of Nilgiris. The fruit garden produces several rare breed fruits like Mangosteen, Jack fruits, Avacodo, Durian, Rambutan, Malayan, Water Apples, Lychees and so on. Especially there are about 60 jack fruit trees in the fruit garden at Kallar.
"Compared to last year, the jackfruit trees in the garden are bearing large number of fruits. While the horticultural department plans to harvest and sell the jackfruits, the monkeys feeding on them have caused severe damage to the fruits", said a source from Kallar fruit garden.
Due to severe drought in the forests, monkeys have descended in large numbers into the Kallar Garden in search of jackfruits. Adding to the woes, elephants rampage the garden by uprooting jackfruit trees for fruits.
Jack fruit from Kallar is most-sought sought among the locals and tourists. Though the taste and the size of the fruit distinguishes it from other fruits produced elsewhere, the catchy price is what draws tge attention of the wholesalers. The jackfruits are sold at as low as Rs.10 per kg.
In this scenario, the damage caused to the trees by the monkeys has caused concern among the workers at the Kallar Garden who reportedly are clueless to chase away the monkeys and elephants straying regularly into the garden.
They have requested the forest officials to take necessary action to keep the animals at bay, to save the remaining jackfruit trees.