Demand for homemade devices to drive away monkeys rises

By Hari Pasad Koirala,Urlabari, Dec. 26: Deepak Bhandari, 54, a resident of Urlabari-7 in Morang, is currently overwhelmed with work of building homemade devices to drive away monkeys, elephants and other wild animals.

The demand for the device surged after it was showcased on an online TV channel in Urlabari a month ago, leaving Bhandari extremely busy. Over half of the people living in the hilly regions are reportedly troubled by monkeys. Bhandari receives 40 to 50 calls daily.

The highest demand comes from districts like Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Khotang, Gulmi and Syangja. Two workers are busy manufacturing monkey-repelling devices at Bhandari Suppliers, located in Urlabari-7. He said, "We are producing 30 devices daily."

For the past 14 years, he has been creating various types of homemade tools and devices. He has already produced farming ploughs, corn-husking machines, skewered meat grills, monkey-repelling devices and numerous other tools. Similarly, he built a mobile house equipped with wheels, which he uses.

Despite producing various items, Bhandari’s business had been struggling. The industry had a stock of goods worth Rs. 2 million. However, after promoting the monkey-repelling device, Deepak said his journey toward business success has finally begun.

He said, "All the stock is about to run out. The industry, with an investment of 4.5 million rupees, was on the verge of collapsing with Rs. 2 million worth of unsold stock."

Bhandari, who has been consistently engaged in his business, attributes his turnaround to the power of media and communication. He remarked, "I was producing items that people were looking for but did not know where to find. An online TV channel completely transformed the shape of my business."

Deepak, who used to receive just one or two phone calls a day, now says, "I have requested municipalities and wards to send official recommendations along with their orders. Since ordering a single device is costly and transportation is challenging, it is easier to send them when recommendations come from monkey-affected wards."

Lokendra Budhathoki of Sisne-5, Rukum, said, "It is genuinely effective, so our community ordered it collectively." Currently, Bhandari is selling the device for Rs. 2,500.