The Chinese air force has a new secret weapon : monkeys . The People 's Liberation Army Air Force has trained macaques to keep its troops safe by discouraging birds from nesting near the air force base , the PLA 's website reported earlier this week . The monkeys are used in an unidentified air force base in northern China , which is situated right on a major migratory route for birds . When swarms of birds fly around the base , it poses a threat to military planes that are in mid-flight . The birds could potentially get sucked into plane engines , endangering the lives of both birds and pilots . `` Do n't worry , we now have a secret weapon ! '' Su Chuang , a high-ranking officer , was quoted as saying on the PLA website . The officer was referring to the specially-trained monkeys that answer to the sound of a whistle . When the nests of birds are discovered in tree tops , the monkey army is deployed to remove them . The PLA have tried many different methods to remove the nests in the past , including opening fire on the nests , using long bamboo poles to topple them out of trees , and having soldiers climb the trees to pick them out . None of these methods were very effective . Apart from being time-consuming and dangerous for the officers who had to climb the trees , the birds kept coming back . However , when monkeys remove the nests , the birds do not return , as the macaques leave a scent on the branches that discourage the birds , according to the PLA 's web posting . `` The monkeys are loyal bodyguards who defend the safety of our comrades , '' said the web report .
Birds pose a hazard to Chinese planes in the air . Monkeys are trained to remove bird 's nests from tree tops . The monkeys leave a scent on tree branches , discouraging birds from returning .