A Formosan rock macaque on Sunday last week broke into a home in a village in Pingtung County and attacked the homeowner, who was sleeping inside.
The man, surnamed Chang (張), who lives in Haikou Village (海口) in Checheng Township (車城), yesterday said that he was napping in the living room when the macaque bit him on the head, leaving a 3cm laceration.
The Pingtung Department of Agriculture urged residents of the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) to keep their windows closed to keep macaques out.
Photo retaken by Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Chang, 67, said he had left the windows open to let fresh air in, adding that the animal had already escaped by the time he realized he had been attacked.
His family rushed him to a hospital, where he received 10 stitches, he said.
Chang said he believes the macaque that attacked him was the same one that was spotted near the village several months ago.
The animal had been stealing fruits from homes and had broken into his home before, Chang said, adding that he had chased the macaque out at the time.
Other village residents believe that a local might have cared for the animal in the past, so it is not afraid of people, he said.
Macaques in the area have been moving into settlements from the mountains, Township Office Deputy Chairperson Pai Teng-ko (白登科) said, adding that as many as 30 macaques could be seen gathering along mountain roads at certain times.
The macaques have been stealing fruit from homes for a while, Pai said, raising concerns among residents.
Pai urged county authorities to come up with measures to protect residents from the animals.
County animal protection officials said that as macaques are no longer classified as a protected species as of last year, people could deal with the animal in accordance with Article 21 of the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
The article says that “wildlife may be hunted or killed [if it poses] a danger to public safety or human life.”
It is possible that the macaque that bit Chang was a lone “misbehaving” animal, but county authorities should still survey other macaques in the area to make sure there are not others like it, Tunghai University Department of Life Science professor Lin Liang-kung (林良恭) said.
As long as there is no policy in place to keep the macaques’ movements in check, the animals would not fear people and would be more likely to break into homes, he said.
Misbehaving macaques should be trapped to prevent them from influencing the behavior of other macaques in their barrel, he said.
Additional reporting by Chien Hui-ju
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