Agriculture department officials who saw the equipment, in addition to lauding the farmer, also suggested that the same be followed by other farmers to reduce crop damage.

“I used to suffer much from the marauders who would sneak into lush cane fields from nearby forest areas. Hence, I studied how the animals would react to the sounds of bigger wild animals. I recorded the sounds of lions and leopards roaring, foxes grunting, bears snuffing, bees buzzing, crackers bursting, and guns being fired, from the internet. I then tested them on my farm animals, including dogs and cows and found that the mere sound of bigger animals was enough to make them restless and pull at their tether ropes,” recollects Raja.

Raja then said that he mounted the amplifier and inverter on a stand so that it emitted the sounds at regular intervals only at night. “Earlier, I would hear the wild pigs grunting and squealing when attacking cane stalks, but after the machine was installed, I hear such no more,” added the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association president.

The set-up is also suggested to be an alternative to erecting electrified fences.