From next month, visitors to Kaohsiung’s Chaishan (柴山) who feed Formosan macaques living there will be fined, the city government said yesterday.
Under the new policy, hikers are being asked to observe “four noes and one help” — do not feed the wildlife, do not play with the monkeys, do not threaten or attack them, do not let children or pets out of sight and help stop inappropriate behavior by visitors to the mountain.
The city has long advised against feeding or playing with the monkeys. However, there are still many reports every year of monkeys attacking hikers for food, officials said.
Lin Ying-pin (林英斌), deputy director of the city’s Economic Development Bureau, told reporters that the bureau has begun to train a team of volunteers that will help the city government prevent hikers from playing with the monkeys.
About 50 volunteers will attend classes given by university professors and animal experts to learn more about the behavior of the macaques.
Every volunteer will be equipped with a camera to collect evidence whenever they spot visitors feeding or abusing the macaques, he said.
Their fieldwork will begin in the middle of next month, Lin said, adding that violators would be fined a maximum of NT$6,000.
Statistics from the bureau show that the mountain is home to an estimated population of more than 1,000 macaques.
The city government made a special request that funding be earmarked for volunteer training this year, hoping to stop people feeding the monkeys.
Chaishan, a scenic spot located to the west of Kaohsiung, forms a natural barrier for the city.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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