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http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/20040106/20040106f2.html
Formosan macaque revival raises ecological questions

Published: January 6, 2004
Source: Taiwan Journal

The Formosan macaque was the first primate to set foot on Taiwan. Known also
as the Formosan rock monkey and classified by most zoologists as a unique
species, Macaca cyclopsis, its domain once stretched from the island's
plains into the mountains to an altitude of 3,000 meters. Like so many other
primate species -- about 200 worldwide -- their numbers have been
drastically reduced at the hands of their junior cousins, Homo sapiens.

"Looking back to 1989, when the Wildlife Conservation Law was enacted, the
very survival of the Formosan rock monkey was in jeopardy, as reports of the
time attest. For example, American scholars who came to Taiwan in search of
laboratory animals to substitute for the rhesus monkey noted that the
Formosan rock monkey's numbers were at a dangerously low ebb," said Wang
Ying, a professor of biology at National Taiwan Normal University. "At least
3,000 monkeys a year used to be killed for food and other uses. For example,
people could buy ashtrays made from monkey skulls in night markets. This
tarnished Taiwan's international image drastically," he said.

In view of the macaque's uniqueness as the only non-human primate in Taiwan
living outside zoos, it has become a celebrity of conservation efforts over
the past decade. Recently, the Council of Agriculture (COA) conducted a
survey to determine how effective those efforts have been in helping the
macaque population to rebound, as well as to gain insight into broader
questions of ecological balance and relations between human and monkey
communities.

The good news is that according to the council's estimate, the Formosan
macaque population has increased significantly, now standing at
approximately 250,000 grouped in some 10,000 troops. "The increasing numbers
of the Formosan rock monkey are symbolic of the earnestness of Taiwan's
conservation efforts. It's good to see Taiwan's gradual redemption from its
reputation as an animal-unfriendly country," said Wang.

The not-so-good news is that the survey and other findings have revealed
many problems in the complex relationship between monkeys, humans and the
environment as the monkey population continues growing.

Formosan macaques have an average life span of over 20 years and live in
social groups with anywhere from a dozen to 70 members led by a dominant
male. A monkey troop's range of movement varies according to food
availability and climatic conditions. They begin their three-month mating
season in October and give birth from April onward. Newborn macaques cling
tightly to their mothers' chests day and night, but after three to four
months they become bolder and begin to climb about all over their mothers'
bodies. When they become a year old, young monkeys' curiosity overcomes
their fear, and they often frolic adventurously outside the troop.

"Of all the wild animals in Taiwan's mountain forests, the tenacious
Formosan rock monkey has the best learning ability," said Wang. According to
the professor, the monkey is believed to have the intelligence of a 3- or
4-year-old human, and it has complex personality traits. It is in part their
cleverness, however, that has led to unhappy tales of conflicts between
humans and simians.

For example, fruit farmers whose orchards border on macaque habitats have
tried all kinds of stratagems -- from dogs to firecrackers to traps -- to
deal with the furry thieves who invade their orchards. "Monkeys are always
testing out farmers' latest tricks and finding ways to get their hands on
juicy fruits," said the professor. Farmers frequently and vociferously
complain that this once-hapless animal has become a threat to their
livelihood.

Chen Shu-hui of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute opined that the
tension between humans and monkeys highlights the problem that conservation
activities have commonly focused narrowly on reviving a select number of
species without considering the wider ecological picture. This attitude, she
said, is a throwback to earlier days of government policy, when only a few
animals were spotlighted in order to arouse public interest in conservation.
The Formosan rock monkey is an example of an animal that seemed to be in
danger of extinction but whose rapid proliferation has now made it something
of a pest in some locales.

Besides conflicts between monkey and farmer, numerous instances of visitors
to Taipei's Yangming Shan or Kaoshiung's Mount Chai being clawed by monkeys
have heightened tensions between the two primates. Consequently, some
communities have suggested that the COA relax the Wildlife Conservation Law
and give counties and cities more powers to deal with animals that injure
humans or create other problems.

"You can't just blame the monkeys," avers Chang Shih-wei, a research fellow
at the forestry institute and member of the macaque census team. He said
that for years foresters who lease state-owned woodlands, instead of
planting trees for timber as they are supposed to, have planted large
numbers of fruit trees, increasing the chances of confrontation with
monkeys. "Only by clearly distinguishing between wildlife refuges and
farmlands can such problems be resolved," noted Chang.

While the number of Formosan macaques is presently growing, biologists
caution that it is very hard to say whether local populations will continue
growing in the long term since there are so many uncertain variables and
their environments are always changing. "Nobody can just go up into the
mountains and expect to spot rock monkeys easily without looking for them.
Their populations aren't that dense," said Chang. An exception to that rule
is Mount Chai, which has the densest macaque population in southern Taiwan.
Because of feeding by tourists, who provide the monkeys with most of their
food requirements, the dozen or so troops in the area cluster along the
footpath, waiting for handouts.

With tourists competing to feed the monkeys, and the monkeys rushing to grab
the food, fights often break out. Younger monkeys are attacked by older
ones, and the death rate among juveniles is higher than before. There has
also been an abnormal increase in premature births. "Because visitors feed
the monkeys, they go crazy when people arrive. They have lost their previous
fear of humans, and this causes people to mistakenly believe that there are
monkeys everywhere," explained Chang. "When visitors feed monkeys or tease
them, some are clawed or chased by playful and naughty monkeys." Unlike the
macaques on Mount Chai, those in the Fushan region of Yilan County enjoy
their life in the wild although they have to spend six hours a day foraging
for food. Researchers discovered that they have a more balanced diet, as
they feed on over 90 plant species, eating everything from roots, stems,
leaves and shoots to fruits and nuts.

"When humans feed monkeys, they give them only bananas. The change in wild
monkeys' feeding habits may also influence the ecology of the local flora,"
said Chang. "I think conservation efforts should enter new realms. The
government should go beyond the work of repopulating a few protected
species, and should put forward a more comprehensive plan to promote the
island's biodiversity." The 250,000 population figure for the Formosan
macaque "doesn't mean very much in itself," said COA survey worker Wu
Hai-yin. "What matters more are the figures for local groups that make up
that total, which can be used as a basis for monitoring the effects of
wildlife conservation. Researchers need to go on to quantify environmental
factors in different regions, and conservation measures should be tailored
to the conditions in each area," opined Wu.

"Where do monkeys need protection? Where can monkey watching be allowed in
order to educate people about this earliest primate in Taiwan? Detailed and
specialized resource management is the key to enabling conservation work in
Taiwan to progress to new levels," concluded Wu.