Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
macaques moved rubbish, especially plastics, into the garden after foraging in
the garbage cans. In this study, if the long-tailed macaques happened to enter
any rooms, they were seen dropping food and plastic bags from the windows.
Juveniles were seen carrying plastic bags into the nearby forest.
Macaques entered into students' rooms through windows that were left open
when students were out. After entering rooms, they foraged for food and drinks,
leaving the rooms in a messed condition because food, water, and personal
belongings were scattered over the floor after their activity. In comparison with
other studies in local residential areas, there is variation in the extent to which
macaques enter homes. Suhailan (
2004
) observed long-tailed macaques enter-
ing into houses through the front doors left open by residents whereas in Taman
Tenaga Puchong, Selangor, Sia (
2005
) reported that the long-tailed macaques
only entered the yards of houses as there were many fruit trees within the house
compound. In Amboseli National Park, vervet monkeys entered into cottages,
kitchens and cars and caused a nuisance by occasionally attacking and biting
the tourists and Park staffs (Lee
et al
.,
1986
).
Frequency of taking items was low compared to other conflict-related activ-
ities. Macaques would sometimes take clothing out of student's rooms. In add-
ition, hangers and clothes were used by macaques while playing with each
other. In a local residential area of West Country, Suhailan (
2004
) had also
reported the taking clothes and shoes. However, Sia (
2005
) reported more often
seeing long-tailed macaques taking fruit from trees in people's private yards
than clothes. In Sumatra, Crockett and Wilson (
1980
) reported
M. fascicularis
taking spiny-skinned durian fruit (
Durio zibethinus
), papaya (
Carica papaya
),
and young corn plant (
Zea mays
), from orchards which were quickly picked
and carried back to the forest fringe for undisturbed consumption.
The long-tailed macaques usually tended to chase students who were car-
rying food or food cues, and the student's reactions (e.g., resist, run, etc) to
these chases sometimes triggered aggression from the macaques. However,
no bites or scratches were observed to occur in this study, and this is the same
as reports from Singapore (Fuentes
et al
.,
2008
; Sha
et al
.,
2009b
). Fuentes
et al
., (
2008
) observed noncontact interactions such as approach towards
and threats to humans in Singapore were related to the humans carrying
food items. Meanwhile, Sia (
2004
) has reported that children in staff hous-
ing area of UKM main campus (i.e., Perumahan Bukit Puteri) threw stones
at macaques. In response the long-tailed macaques were observed to chase
and threatened these children in defense. Similar interactions frequently
occur in Bali where the interactions between macaques and humans often
involve physical contact and human-directed aggression by the macaques,
of which most is related to the presence of food (Wheatley and Harya-Putra,
1994
; Fuentes,
2006
). Fuentes and Gamerl (
2005
) had reported 48 bites of
