A dummy tiger guarding crops (Kuenzang Nima)
In the region of Drochukha, Bhutan, the foremost challenge faced by rural communities is crops damage by wildlife. Land users in this area contend with damage inflicted by a variety of wild animals, including wild boar, barking deer, sambar deer, monkeys, porcupines, bears, and rats. To mitigate crop damage by wildlife, the land users of Drochukha have implemented a unique solution by strategically placing dummy tigers to deter these animals and safeguard their crops.
In 2018, a woman from Drochukha initiated the idea of using dummy tigers to protect crops, and it proved to be highly successful. Following this, other residents also adopted the practice. Farmlands situated near the forest's periphery experience the most significant crop damage by wild animals. By placing dummy tigers near the forest's edge, the land users have not only reduced wildlife attacks in the peripheral regions but also significantly decreased such incidents in the central areas. To protect their crops from wild animals, they procured a dummy tiger at a cost of Nu. 3,380 (about USD 40) from Bajo town in Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag and another dummy tiger costing Nu. 2,000 (about USD 25) from the Indian market in Jaigaon. The land users constructed a raised wooden platform by placing four wooden poles in the ground and adding planks over them to support the dummy tigers, ensuring that they faced the forest.
The implementation of dummy tigers (two) has yielded numerous benefits for 21 households in the region. With the adoption of this innovative approach, Drochukha farmers have been able to increase their crop production and rejuvenate previously unused lands. Dummy tigers effectively safeguard standing crops and prevent wildlife depredation. Maintaining standing crops in the fields is essential to prevent erosion, both of soil and water, while also contributing nitrogen to the soil through the cultivation of leguminous crops and facilitating nutrient cycling. An important aspect of employing dummy tigers is that it prevents land users from resorting to fatal methods of crop protection that may involve the killing of wildlife. Human-wildlife conflicts have thus been reduced. The primary current concern of the land users of Drochukha is the fading colour of the dummy tigers, and they are eager for improved interventions that may involve mobile and sound-producing tigers.
The Agriculture Machinery Centre (AMC) and the Dzongkhag Agriculture Office (DAO) have joined forces to create an IoT-based animal-repellent system. This system, positioned at the field's periphery, comprises three primary components: a speaker, a receptor card, and an amplifier. Once connected to an owner's smartphone, the system allows for the remote playback of various animal sounds. One system, consisting of a single receptor card, can be linked to up to five users. Additionally, two LED flashlights are integrated into the system to deter wild boars at night through powerful pulse flashes. The complete system comes at a cost of Nu. 30,000. Moreover, in their most recent endeavors, AMC and DAO are currently developing a robotic tiger capable of moving its head and limbs, enabling it to patrol the guardhouse and serve as a further deterrent to wildlife. The technology is being piloted as a project to evaluate its effectiveness in the field through trials.
Location: Drochukha Chiwog, Goenshari Gewog, Punakha Dzongkhag, Bhutan
No. of Technology sites analysed: single site
Spread of the Technology: applied at specific points/ concentrated on a small area
In a permanently protected area?: Yes
Date of implementation: 2018
Type of introduction
| Specify input | Unit | Quantity | Costs per Unit (Nu.) | Total costs per input (Nu.) | % of costs borne by land users |
| Labour | |||||
| Labor | man/day | 1.0 | 800.0 | 800.0 | 100.0 |
| Other | |||||
| Tiger toy | No. | 1.0 | 3380.0 | 3380.0 | 100.0 |
| Tiger toy | No. | 1.0 | 2000.0 | 2000.0 | 100.0 |
| Total costs for establishment of the Technology | 6'180.0 | ||||
| Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD | 77.25 | ||||
Quantity before SLM: 125kg
Quantity after SLM: 250kg
Previously, farmers could only harvest approximately 125 kg of potatoes when planting 250 kg of seeds. Now, they can harvest nearly 1500 kg of potatoes from the same amount of seeds.
Daytime crop guarding against monkeys is no longer necessary, allowing land users to allocate their time to other productive activities.
With no need for daytime crop guarding, land users can engage in off-farm activities, earning up to Nu. 800 per day. This has proven to be advantageous in increasing their overall farm income.
Off-farm earning has become possible. Production and marketing of other seasonal crops and high-value crops are possible.
The continuous daytime guarding is not required anymore.
The land users can produce enough for self-consumption and commercialization.
The use of lethal methods for crop protection is no longer necessary, thus preventing the killing of wild animals
The control of vertebrate pests, especially monkeys, has been very successful.
Toy tigers protect farms further from the land users' farms also. There is no intrusion of wild animals into the villages.
