(TW) Fw: primfocus: The problem with primates

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http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/06/story/0000170968

The problem with primates

At a recent symposium debating the future of Taiwan's endemic Formosan rock

macaque, experts discovered that the problems that have arisen through years

of ape/human contact are not going to go away without education

 

By Gavin Phipps

STAFF REPORTER

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 losing 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. " 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

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 (®ã¤s¦ÛµM¤½¶é), 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 (¦æ¬F°|¹A·~©e­û) and the

Society for Wildlife and Nature (¤¤µØ¥Á°ê¦ÛµM¥ÍºA«O¨|¨ó·|), 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 (ªLÄ£·½), of the Conservation Division,

Council of Agriculture (COA, ¦æ¬F°|¹A·~©e­û:ªL·~³B«O¨|¬ì). " 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 (¥xÆW¤j¾Ç°Êª«¾Ç¨t), Lee Ling-ling (§õ¬Â¬Â). " 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

(ªÂ°¶·G) of the Society for Wildlife and Nature (¤¤µØ¥Á°ê¦ÛµM¥ÍºA«O¨|¨ó·|).

" 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 (¯Q¤s) in Tainan

County during the weekends and an estimated 3 million tourists visiting

Kaohsiung's Tai Mountain (®ã¤s) 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 (ªL ­× ) , or " Monkey Daddy " (ônµUª¨ª¨)

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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