Human and long-tailed macaque conflict in Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Long-tailed macaques are highly adaptive in various types of habitats. Their behaviour who are accustomed to living in groups with specific activities greatly affects the home range in getting food. They have ecological and cultural values for a particular community; unfortunately, it was well known as an agricultural crop pest. Quality of the habitat to be one determinant factor of macaques disruptions. The purposes of the study are to understand the conditions of conflict humans and macaques in Central Java that used as a reference in determining solutions. Data analyzed descriptively from various reports and research findings. The data collected identified from 2011 to 2019. Disturbance of long-tailed macaque in Central Java occurs at least 15 regencies with the population reaching thousands of individuals of damage to crops and even enter settlements. The macaque's behaviour that is considered detrimental causes conflicts with humans which at the end, creating various handling efforts ranging from expulsion to hunting. Some research findings show that people's perceptions of wild animals will affect efforts to resolve or mitigate the problem of human conflict with wildlife and negative attitudes can cause adverse effects for conservation efforts.

Aggressivity level of LTM (Macaca Fascicularis) and visitors’ perception in Tlogo Muncar Kaliurang, Taman Nasional Gunung Merapi After Two Years of COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Conflicts between humans and LTM often occur in tourist areas, such as in several tourist destinations in Central Java known as the LTM habitat, including TWA Grojogan Sewu in Karanganyar, Mount Tidar in Magelang, and Jatibarang Reservoir in Semarang. The aggressive behaviour of long-tailed monkeys in tourist areas is hypothesized to be caused by the behaviour of visitors who often feed and interact at close range [3]. A similar report was reported by Gogol and Das [7] on LTMs in different locations at Navagraha Temple, Kamrup Assam, India, whose long-tailed monkeys are feeding by the visitors in the form of snacks, bananas, biscuits, cakes and chips.…”

“…The predominance of this behaviour suggests that most of the LTM in Tlogo Muncar are still afraid of visitors, so they only forage in the trash. Research from Fitria [3] states that overexploited natural food resources for wildlife, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation can also push the LTM to forage outside their habitat. Visitors' habits, for instance, feeding the monkeys, make the LTM accustomed to obtaining food quickly, and they prefer human food waste to the original feed as a food source [24].…”

“…Visitors' habits, for instance, feeding the monkeys, make the LTM accustomed to obtaining food quickly, and they prefer human food waste to the original feed as a food source [24]. In addition, LTMs are also opportunistic omnivores that can adapt to other types of food, such as human waste food [3].…”

“…Such species can be found in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, Sunda Kecil Islands, such as West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara [2]. In each area, the LTM has local names such as Kethek (Java), Motak (Madura), Belo (Timor), Kunyuk (Sunda), Warik (Kalimantan), Karau (Sumatra), Cigaq (Minangkabau), and Bedes (Tengger) [3].…”

Population Abundance of Macaca fascicularis and potential human-wildlife conflicts in Bonerate and Kalao Island

“…Habitat changes and disturbances often lead to conflicts between primates and humans, such as loosing of crops or crop raiding [31] [32]. The condition of the small habitat and being located on a small island directly adjacent to agricultural land and community settlements causes a high potential for conflict between M. fascicularis and the community.…”