Difficulty: Challenger (Level 3)
Officials in Sri Lanka have carried out a nationwide census of nuisance wildlife, like monkeys and peacocks, to prepare countermeasures to protect crops.
Around 40,000 people were assigned to observe and count the animals.
They counted the number of wild boars, lorises, peacocks and monkeys close to farms and homes within a five-minute time frame.
In the north-central district of Anuradhapura, families of farmers came together in open fields to count their animals.
Officials say wild animals like elephants destroy more than a third of crops. These creatures are protected by law.
In 2023, the country’s agricultural minister proposed sending 100,000 toque macaques to Chinese zoos.
The toque macaque is a reddish-brown-coloured monkey in Sri Lanka.
The idea was abandoned after protests from environmentalists.
Answer: to prepare countermeasures to protect crops from wildlife
