Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
also reported to be inhabited by rhesus macaques. This indicates that rhesus
macaques are distributed south of 14.0˚N, and thus may occur in northeastern
Cambodia. Rhesus macaques were also reported in the high-altitude moun-
tainous forests of the Bolaven Plateau, west of Attapeu City. They appear to
be distributed in the Dong Amphan NPA, located in the Xay Phou Louang
(Annamite Mountains). However, their absence was reported in the southern
bank of the Xe Xou River, which is a tributary of Xe Khong River.
Our results show that long-tailed and rhesus macaques coinhabited the region
between 15.2˚N to 14.0˚N in southern Laos. Long-tailed macaques tended to
range in lower altitude forests, such as Xe Pian NPA, and riverine forests along
the Xe Khong River and its tributaries, including those in the outskirt of the
Bolaven Plateau. Rhesus macaques tended to inhabit higher altitudinal or sec-
ondary forests apart from riverside. The two species were not found in the pri-
mary forests where pig-tailed and stump-tailed macaques exist.
Khong Island in the Mekong River (
Figure 3.2
)
, spanning about 18km north
to south and 8km east to west at around 14.2˚N, used to be inhabited by gib-
bons and other non-human primates. However, most of the primate populations
have become extinct. At the present time, a small population(s) of macaques
with a tail of medium length is reported to occur in the patchy forests there, and
is presumed to be rhesus or pig-tailed macaque.
Pet macaques
We inspected six long-tailed and fourteen rhesus pet macaques
(
Table 3.1)
.
According to pet-owner reports, some of them were brought from a distant
locality, but many of them were caught in forests in nearby villages where
they were found. Pet long-tailed macaques were found only in Champasak
Province, in and to the south of Pakse City. They were reported to have been
brought from Attapeu, Mounlapamok (i.e., west of the Mekong River at around
14.5˚N) and Cambodia.
The possession of pet rhesus macaques ranged widely in southern Laos,
and the southern-most locality one was from the forest at 14.8˚N in Attapeu
Province. Some of the pet rhesus macaques were probably caught in NPAs
close to the village (e.g., Phou Xang He or Xe Pian). There were some local-
ities that were popular for the supply of wildlife trade, including non-human
primates. These locations were, Virabury, about 50 km northeast of the Xephon
City (
Figure 3.2
)
, and Dakchung in Sekong Province, north of Sekong City and
near the Vietnam border. Both areas are under development. In Virabury cop-
per and gold mines have recently started operations, and in Dakchung roads
and dams were under construction and commercial logging was in operation.
