PHOTO ESSAY: Crop-raiding monkeys threaten Nepal's farming communities

DHARMGHAR, Nepal (AP) — Monkeys are becoming one of the most persistent and destructive enemies of farmers in Nepal.At dawn, rural communities across the country gather to fan out across fields carrying slings, sticks and homemade noise cannons and keep watch on the tree line. Some bring dogs, others shout into the forest.The aim is to stop hordes of macaques from destroying crops that can vanish in minutes.The daily ritual reflects a growing crisis across rural Nepal. Farmers say the monkey raids have become one of the biggest threats to their livelihoods despite years of failed efforts to drive the aggressive animals away. It also mirrors a broader shift in the countryside as villages lose people to cities and overseas jobs, leaving fewer hands to farm or defend the land.Villagers have t