Monkeys have been trained to clear the skies of the biggest threat to China’s air force at the moment – birds – as Beijing prepares for its massive military parade this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

A monkey is put into action. 163.com Pictures from July show military personnel instructing monkeys to dismantle the nests of birds on trees at an unspecified air force base used for parade training.

The military base was situated along a migration route for birds, which undermined the safety of the military’s flight training, said trainer Wang Mingzhi, who is responsible for clearing the birds near the base.

Birds can cause severe damage to planes when they collide.

The military staff also trained eagles to drive other birds out of the sky. 163.com “No one can climb trees as tall as 30 metres,” Wang said. “With shotguns, we can blow off only two nests with a box of bullets. If we use water cannon, it would be a waste of water and human resources.”

The officers have five monkeys, who together can dismantle 60 nests a day. The base also trains eagles to drive away other birds.