Kathmandu, May 21 -- From east to west, monkey menace on farms has become a growing crisis across Nepal's mid-hills, driving farmers to despair, emptying granaries and, in some places, forcing entire settlements to abandon agriculture and migrate elsewhere.

The problem has become so severe that migration caused by monkey attacks is now seen as almost routine in many rural communities.

Farmers and local governments have tried a raft of measures to protect crops, from planting fruit trees in forests and diverting monkeys away from villages, to cutting down trees near fields, firing guns to scare animals and guarding farms throughout the day.

Last Friday, Laligurans Municipality in Tehrathum district even declared a public holiday so resi...