Increased contact between humans and Formosan macaques in the Shoushan (壽山) area of Kaohsiung’s Gushan District (鼓山) might be increasing the risk of life-threatening diseases jumping species, a National Pingtung University of Science and Technology report said.
The report was commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior’s National Nature Park Headquarters for its Project to Monitor Taiwan Macaque Populations and Research Macaque-related Disease and Health.
Incidents of macaques jumping on people are likely prompted by increased contact, as the monkeys have learned that interacting with people is one way to obtain food, said Su Hsiu-hui (蘇秀慧), an associate professor at the university’s Institute of Wildlife Conservation.
Photo courtesy of the National Nature Park
However, such interactions could cause diseases to be transmitted both ways, or lead to conflict between people and macaques, Su said.
Humans and macaques share a common susceptibility to many kinds of diseases, including Cercopithecine herpesvirus (CHV-1), dengue fever and amebiasis, said Chen Chen-chih (陳貞志), a professor at the institute who heads the project.
The infection rate among adult macaques for CHV-1 is about 100 percent, Chen said, adding that human-macaque contact increases the risk of people being exposed to a deadly virus.
The macaque population in the Shoushan area has been under high pressure, possibly due to increased population size and increasing contact with people, he said.
Incidents of conflict between people and macaques have been rising, the park headquarters said, citing an incident last year in which a visitor to the area was bitten by a macaque that jumped onto their back.
Faced with such a situation, people should keep calm and move slowly toward a tree so that the monkey would be inclined to jump either onto the tree or the ground, the park said.
People should refrain from waving their hands or other actions that the animals might perceive as aggressive, it said.
Shoushan is a natural habitat of Taiwanese macaques and people should avoid contact with them, including by feeding or provoke them, it said.
People who contravene rules against contact with wildlife face a fine of NT$3,000 as stipulated by the National Park Act (國家公園法), and NT$5,000 to NT$10,000 under the Kaohsiung City Autonomous Act on Wildlife Conservation (高雄市野生動物保育自治條例), it added.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man