Two monkeys were trained by the PLA Beijing Military Area Command, Air Force division to clear out birds' nests to make sure that flights could safely take off and land.

There are millions of birds heading north during summer, and migration usually happens every year in March. However, when these birds settle around the flight zone, they become a hidden danger that might compromise the safety of a flight.

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Recently, the problem was addressed through a monkey training program wherein monkeys were taught to prevent bird strike.

The initiative was launched by the airport division citing rhesus macaque monkeys to be a good choice as these are abundant in southern China.

To prevent a bird strike, the Air Force's PLA Beijing Military Area Command recently started training monkeys.

Bird strike prevention was previously done by shooting or knocking them down through the use of bamboo sticks. However, the method was deemed expensive and caused too much effort before a successful outcome, said a report from the ECNS.cn.

The director of the air force station, Wang Yuejian, said that monkeys can be easily trained as they are good climbers and expert jumpers. He also added that training monkeys costs less, is safe to use and does not cause excessive harm to birds.

The probable reason behind the use of rhesus macaque, among other primate species, could be because of their social behavior that can be likened to humans, said a report from the ScienceDaily.

The training of the two rhesus macaque monkeys could take out six to eight nests on a daily basis. The two trained monkeys have already taken out more than 180 nests within and around the flight premises.

Wang Yue said that the birds would not go back to the same place after the trained monkeys have removed their nests.

TagsChinese air force, bird strike, Rhesus Macaque Monkey, Beijing Military Area Command