Article Posted on : - May 09, 2014

BEIJING (PTI): The Chinese Air Force has trained two monkeys to remove birds' nests in order to ensure flight safety and minimise the threat of bird hits to the aircraft during landing and take offs.

The Air Force's Beijing Military Area Command has deployed the monkeys as millions of migrating birds fly north for summer. But when they settle around the airport, they become a hidden danger for flight safety.

To prevent a bird strike, the Air Force of the PLA Beijing Military Area Command recently started training monkeys, official media reported.

According to Wang Yuejian, director of the air force station, monkeys are good at climbing and jumping, and can be trained easily.

"Compared with other anti-bird methods, using monkeys is safe, efficient, low cost, and avoids harming the birds excessively," Wang said.

After training, each monkey can remove six to eight bird nests every day.

The pair has already dealt with more than 180 nests around the airport.