Coconut Fruit Falling on Your Head

                                          Coconut fruit falling on your head

We have a coconut tree in our garden, for well over three decades. It is in the pathway from front to back doors. The tree yields about 60-70 fruits per year during the season. It is a pity that we do not take care of it well. But it is very forgiving and friendly, despite termite infestation, lack of adequate water or enough space to grow.

My neighbor’s son, school kid, is afraid of jumping over the compound wall to fetch the ball that crosses the boundary wall and lands into our space. Not that he is wary of being chided by me but he is afraid that a coconut may fall on his head.

What are the chances of a ripened coconut falling from the tree on your head? Well that depends upon several factors such as: the ripeness of the fruit, how many times you walk past its trajectory, how many coconuts form the yield, time of the day, wind velocity if it is windy and perhaps your luck.  

There have been a few studies to determine this, both bogus as well as really good results. The often-quoted statement that “There are about 150 deaths per year due to coconut falling on the head”, has been de-bunked. The latest guestimate of a death occurring on account of being hit by a coconut is about 1 in 270,000,000. You have better chances of winning Australian Saturday Lotto.  Interested? Look up: https://www.lottoland.com.au/magazine/what-are-the-odds-of-being-killed-by-a-coconut.html

As per my observations, coconuts fall more during night than during the day. They fall in my garden space, into my neighbours’ yard or on my terrace. Monkeys play a major role if more nuts happen to fall down. We never engage a person to bring fruits (pluck) down. Whatever falls on its own, at its destined time, is enough for us. I will consider that I am lucky if they fall in the terrace. One, because, they don’t disappear through the hands of the servant maid. Two, because, if I am hit, it will be better than being hit if I am on the ground, directly under the tree – impact will be less!