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The problem with primates

By Gavin Phipps
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Oct 06, 2002, Page 18

"I'll readily admit that feeding macaques is not something that people should do, especially feeding them bian dangs and other equally odd food stuffs." -- 'Monkey Daddy,' Lin Bing-hsio PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM CHYI

Although considered cute and cuddly by large numbers of the population, the Formosan rock macaque -- Taiwan's most widely dispersed and largest endemic creature -- is causing its' guardians their fair share of headaches.

A recent survey showed that the number of farms regularly loosing crops to macaque raiding has increased by 82 percent. The total number of such cases reported nationwide last year reached an all-time high of 111. And the number of villages now plagued by evening visits by troops of mischievous and noisy macaques has reached a staggering 240 nationwide.

Not that the macaque is the sole antagonist, however. A surge in what could be considered naive macaque-related eco-tourism has seen contact between macaques and humans reach new levels. The most visited macaque abode is Kaohsiung's Taishan Scenic Area (柴山自然公園), which now sees upwards of 10,000 visitors on any given weekend.

So great are the problems surrounding the macaque and man, that when government agencies, local NGOs and primatologists met in Taipei last week to debate how best to ensure a future for the nation's native ape, the symposium's conclusions actually led to more questions being raised rather than answered.

Jointly organized by the Council of Agriculture (行政院農業委員) and the Society for Wildlife and Nature (中華民國自然生態保育協會), the conference was preceded by a field trip to some of the most problematic locations.

"We visited four locations, each of which offered us a broad view as to the varying conditions in and different approaches being taken in order to deal with the two distinct problems facing the macaque," explained the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) representative, John Spowart. "These being crop raiding conflicts between farmers and the ever-increasing macaque population and the invasive feeding activities of tourists on macaque groups."

The largest of the nation's 14 species of endemic animal -- the 13 others belonging to the bat or rodent families -- the Formosan rock macaque is an internationally protected species.

Once hunted solely for its bones, which were boiled down into a broth and drunk by young men who believed the concoction would give them everlasting virility, the trapping of macaques was outlawed in 1989.

Although no longer critically endangered, the macaque is, according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals, still at risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future.

Since the National Wildlife Conservation Law was brought into effect 13 years ago, the numbers of macaques nationwide has, according to some conservationists increased four-fold. The exact number, however, will probably never be known. Some estimates put the number of Formosan rock macaques at between 100,000 and 300,000, while others calculate the number to be as high as 400,000.

"We have given serious thought to counting the exact number of macaques in Taiwan, but it doesn't take a primate specialist to workout that such a task would border on the impossible. They avoid people, run away and hide in trees," explained Lin Yaw-Yuan (林耀源), of the Conservation Division, Council of Agriculture (COA, 行政院農業委員:林業處保育科). "It would take years and even then the numbers recorded would quite possibly be out of date by the time the data was published."

A nationwide survey may remain an impossibility, but recent localized studies have given conservationists a better understanding of macaque troop size and, more importantly, the changes in the primate's environment that have led to the current problems.

"The increase in the number of legal and illegal farms in Taichung, Tainan, Nantou and Kaohsiung counties in recent years has meant that sightings of and interaction with the apes has reached new levels because of the farmers encroachment on previously forested areas," Lin said.

Unlike crop damage incurred by natural disasters, after which farmers are able to claim compensation based on the estimated weight of crops destroyed, the government does not reimburse farmers whose crops are damaged by macaque raids.

"Obviously some farmers do warrant compensation, but as large amounts of land that falls victim to the macaques is illegally farmed, there's little anyone can do," explained Associate professor with the Department of Zoology National Taiwan University (台灣大學動物學系), Lee Ling-ling (李玲玲). "The main reason compensation is not granted is through fear of false claims by farmers. Anyone could destroy crops and say an ape did it."

While it is illegal to slaughter macaques, even trespassing ones, legal farmers can apply for a permit to trap troublesome apes. The unlicensed killing of a macaque is punishable with a lengthy prison sentence and/or a hefty fine depending on the circumstances. The number of applicants for legalized culling, however, remains small. With many farmers preferring to use fireworks and electric fences to keep the macaques off their land.

"I don't think many farmers actually want to see the creatures killed and even fewer would want to kill the creatures themselves," said William Chyi (祁偉廉) of the Society for Wildlife and Nature (中華民國自然生態保育協會). "Most farmers simply come to realize that they have to live alongside the macaques." Although many farmers now appear to be more than happy to ignore the primates and carry on the best they can, tourists are proving more difficult to educate.

With upwards of 1,000 day-trippers visiting Wu Mountain (烏山) in Tainan County during the weekends and an estimated 3million tourists visiting Kaohsiung's Tai Mountain (柴山) annually, interaction between man and beast is increasing at an alarming rate. What's more worrying is that large numbers of these tourists are under the impression that macaques are simply wild pets.

"Obviously eco-tourism is important and you can't outlaw it. But when people presume that these macaques should be treated like pets rather than wild animals, then something certainly needs to be done," said Lee.

The number of tourists visiting Kaohsiung's Taishan has reached such proportions, in fact, that last year Kaohsiung County and city governments were forced to take action. Letters were sent out to several of the nation's leading travel agents asking them to refrain from taking bus loads of tourists armed with bananas and other food stuffs to the mountain.

"It revolves around people's mindsets. While over the past 10 years people have become more environmentally aware, a certain degree of naivete still exists," the associate professor said. "People need to be constantly reminded of the very fine, but considerably important line that exists between interaction with wildlife and the simple enjoyment of nature."

Along with requesting tour organizers to refrain from allowing visitors to feed the macaques, the county and city also implemented a system of fines for the interference with and feeding of the apes. The current penalty ranges from fines between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 and, or up to six months in prison.

The law, however, is tremendously difficult to enforce. Public pathways that snake through many of the areas inhabited by the macaque are often littered with the remnants of the fruit, biscuits and even lunch boxes brought along by tourists in order to feed the apes.

"Sure you can put up signs and threaten people with fines, but because the areas in which the macaques roam cover such large tracts of land enforcement of the law is nearly impossible," admitted Chyi. "To really confound matters, not all the areas have the same law. While fines exist in Kaohsiung County, no such fines are evident in Tainan." Which is probably just as well as such penalties would possibly lead to one of the county's most recognizable celebrity's immediate incarceration.

For the past 18 years, Lin Bing-hsio (林 修 ) , or "Monkey Daddy" (獼猴爸爸) as he has become known, has been feeding and enjoying the company of troops of macaques who call his mountain-side plot of land in Tainan County home.

"I'll readily admit that feeding macaques is not something that people should do, especially feeding them bian dangs and other equally odd food stuffs," Lin said. "I don't over feed them and I only feed them fruit, which ensures that the macaques don't loose their natural foraging ability. They have the whole forest to feed on when I'm not there."

Increased contact between ape and human has also raised concerns about the health of both parties. While the chances of a macaque actually killing someone are pretty slim due to the creatures' non-predatory nature, the possibilities that the massed members of a troop might attack and seriously wound an individual cannot be dismissed.

According to government data, the numbers of macaque attacks that have resulted in serious injuries are relatively few. Since it became compulsory for hospitals to report monkey attacks in 1998, records show that there have been 12 such incidents across the nation, the most recent of which took place in Taichung County earlier this year.

While experts at the symposium found themselves confronted by even greater problems than originally expected, several long-term ideas were put forward regarding the continuing parallel existence of human and ape.

"Do you allow the activities to continue unchecked? Simply shut down all tourist activity? Or somehow separate the macaques from people?" asked Spowart. "Whichever one you opt for, other problems will undoubtedly arise given time. The best place to begin is with increased educational awareness aimed at teaching people about the creature, its' habits and habitat."
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