Primates and Primatologists: Reflecting on Two Decades of Primatological and Ethnoprimatological Research, Tourism, and Conservation at the Ubud Monkey Forest

Howells, Michaela; Loudon, James E.; Brotcorne, Fany; Petterson, Jeffrey V.; Wandia, I Nengah; Putra, I Gusti Agung Arta; Fuentes, Agustín

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-14919-1_8

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Male macaques possess long, dagger-like canines that they use to slash during fights, sometimes resulting in open wounds that can become infected. The provisioning program at the Ubud Monkey Forest has been successful but has resulted in a high population density [ 12 ]. Since the forest is situated in an urban setting, there are very few options for males living outside of the site to immigrate into the Ubud Monkey Forest population, and also few options for the males who inhabit the site to emigrate out, leading to a comparatively high number of males [ 27 ], which sometimes results in high intra-male aggression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Ubud Monkey Forest is an ~800-year-old temple complex situated on 20.5 hectares of tropical rainforest that includes ~200 plant species [ 11 ]. There are three primary temples at the site, the Pura Dalem Agung (Great Temple), the Pura Beji (Bathing Temple), and the Pura Prajapati which lies adjacent to an active cemetery at the site [ 12 ]. The Ubud Monkey Forest is among the most visited tourist sites in Bali.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Ubud Monkey Forest is among the most visited tourist sites in Bali. Typically, tens of thousands of tourists from more than 70 countries visit the site each year to interact with the macaques [ 12 ]. During the study period, the Ubud Monkey Forest was visited by ~1500 paying tourists each day.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The site also includes ~40 temple guards who provision the macaques and observe human–macaque interactions and de-escalate agonism between visitors and macaques. The guards also document physical injuries of the macaques or note changes in their behavior that could be associated with injury or illness [ 12 ]. Depending on their needs, these animals are brought to the onsite veterinary clinic.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Healing Hanuman’s Army: Veterinary Care as a Core Component of One Health Principles in a Southeast Asian Monkey Forest

Loudon,

Howells,

Wolfe

et al. 2023

Animals

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Wildlife that inhabit urban landscapes face the dual challenge of negotiating their positions in their group while navigating obstacles of anthropogenically modified landscapes. The dynamics of urban environments can result in novel injuries and mortalities for these animals. However, these negative impacts can be mitigated through planning, and onsite veterinary care like that provided by the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, Indonesia. We examined 275 recorded injuries and mortalities among six social groups of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) brought to the veterinary clinic from 2015–2018. We fit the probabilities of injury vs. death among macaques brought to the clinic using a multilevel logistic regression model to infer the relationship between injury vs. death and associated demographic parameters. Males were more likely to sustain injuries and females were more likely to die. The frequency of injuries and mortalities changed over the four-year study period, which was reflected in our model. The odds of mortality were highest among young macaques and the odds of injury vs. mortality varied across the six social groups. We categorized injuries and mortalities as “natural” or “anthropogenic”. Most injuries and mortalities were naturally occurring, but powerlines, motorized vehicles, and plastic present ongoing anthropogenic threats to macaque health. Most wounds and injuries were successfully treated, with healthy animals released back to their group. We suggest other sites with high levels of human–alloprimate interplays consider the Ubud Monkey Forest veterinary office as a model of care and potentially adopt their approaches.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Healing Hanuman’s Army: Veterinary Care as a Core Component of One Health Principles in a Southeast Asian Monkey Forest

Loudon,

Howells,

Wolfe

et al. 2023

Animals

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“…This included a roundtrip between their homestay (located in the village of Ubud) and the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (located in the neighboring village of Padangtegal). During the field school, students spent the majority of their workday learning how to conduct ethnographic interviews and collect behavioral data on free‐ranging long‐tailed macaques ( Macaca fascicularis ) inhabiting the ~13 ha sacred forest temple complex (Fuentes et al, 2011 ; Howells et al, 2022 ). During the field school, there were few opportunities for vigorous physical activity as there were no gyms in the village and intentional cardiovascular activities, such as running and bicycling, are challenging due to local feral dogs.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a difference in student physical activity between a field school and a traditional classroom setting?

Howells

Mayfour

April

et al. 2022

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives We compared the physical activity of nine students participating in an anthropological field school to their activity expenditures in traditional classrooms. We predicted that the students would exhibit higher physical activity during the field school due to the substantial physical requirements associated with the program compared to traditional classroom environments which are frequently more sedentary. Methods Participants (n = 9) wore wrist accelerometers for ~23 h each day for 6 days during an anthropological field school and also in a traditional classroom environment. Accelerometers were programed with participant height, weight, age, and sex. Each accelerometer recorded total energy expenditure in kilocalories (kcal), step counts, and time in four physical activity levels (vigorous, moderate, easy, and very easy) between the field school and traditional classroom settings. Results During the field school portion of the study, participants burned more calories (p < .01), took more steps (p < .0001), and engaged in more moderate and easy exercise (p < .0001). Conclusions This study provides insights into the physical benefits of study abroad programs and field schools. Our multi‐day accelerometer data revealed significant differences in even relatively low intensities of physical activity. This is particularly pertinent in the United States where sedentary lifestyles are increasing among college students. Taken together, the results underscore the importance of study abroad programs, field schools, and other applied learning opportunities beyond the educational, professional, and social benefits.

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Ethnoprimatology reveals new extended distribution of critically endangered banded langur Presbytis femoralis (Martin, 1838) in Pahang, Malaysia: Insights from indigenous traditional knowledge and molecular analysis

Haris,

Othman,

Kaviarasu

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

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The banded langur (Presbytis femoralis) is a critically endangered primate, restricted to Johor, Malaysia, with an estimated population size of less than 500 individuals. Traditionally, distribution studies on this highly threatened primate have relied on conventional methods such as DNA identification, live counting, and camera trapping. However, ethnoprimatology offers an alternative approach to data collection, involving the active participation of indigenous and local communities possessing valuable knowledge and experience with local primate species. This study employed an integrated approach incorporating ethnoprimatology by utilizing pooled local expert opinion, local surveys, interviews, and fecal DNA analysis, resulting in a novel distribution range for the banded langur. The combination of expert opinions revealed this species' most optimistic distribution scenario across Johor and Pahang, inhabiting various ecosystems, including lowland forests, peat swamps, and human‐modified landscapes. Further interviews and surveys conducted within the Orang Asli community in Tasik Chini and Tasek Bera have provided additional support for the revised distribution, documenting occurrences of banded langur utilization in indigenous practices, such as food consumption, cultural beliefs, medicinal applications, and craftsmanship. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated genetic differentiation between populations in Johor and Pahang, with the populations in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia likely serving as ancestral sources for other populations. Consequently, this study not only elucidated the updated distribution of banded langur through DNA records and direct observations but also established the efficacy of ethnoprimatology as a precursory tool for uncovering the present distribution patterns of other primate species in Malaysia.

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Primates and Primatologists: Reflecting on Two Decades of Primatological and Ethnoprimatological Research, Tourism, and Conservation at the Ubud Monkey Forest

Cited by 5 publications

References 27 publications

Healing Hanuman’s Army: Veterinary Care as a Core Component of One Health Principles in a Southeast Asian Monkey Forest

Healing Hanuman’s Army: Veterinary Care as a Core Component of One Health Principles in a Southeast Asian Monkey Forest

Is there a difference in student physical activity between a field school and a traditional classroom setting?

Ethnoprimatology reveals new extended distribution of critically endangered banded langur Presbytis femoralis (Martin, 1838) in Pahang, Malaysia: Insights from indigenous traditional knowledge and molecular analysis

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