Hyderabad, Apr 3 (IANS): A 'sloth bear' stands guard at a farmer's fields in Telangana's Siddipet district. It patrols the maize and vegetable crops to keep wild animals away.

This is not a sloth bear for real. Threat to his crops from wild animals made Bhaskar Reddy come up with this innovative idea to scare the wild animals away.

The farmer in Nagasamudrala village in Koheda mandal was not finding scarecrows and mannequins helpful to protect the crops from monkeys and wild boars. He approached a costume supply vendor and wanted him to stitch a costume of a sloth bear.

This cost him Rs 10,000 but this was not all. The farmer had to hire a person who can wear the costume and move around the field so that wild animals do not dare to enter the field. The trick worked for the farmer.

"I am paying Rs 500 a day for a man to don a sloth bear's costume to protect my crop. I have no other option to avoid the losses," said Bhaskar Reddy, who cultivates maize and vegetables on 10 acre of lands

The farmer was incurring huge losses due to attack by simians and wild boars. He tried different methods like placing stuffed tiger toys and even solar fencing to fend his crops. He ultimately found an effective solution.

However, he is not alone who is facing the problems. Many farmers in the region complained about the monkey menace.

Some of them are also taking the help of Bhaskar Reddy with the requests to lend the costume.