Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
There is some information on the status of long-tailed macaques in
Thailand (Fooden,
1971
; Aggimarnagsee,
1992
; Malaivijitnond
et al
.,
2005
;
Malaivijitnond and Hamada,
2008
). The most up-to-date information avail-
able regarding semi-tame troops of macaques living near human settlements
was published in 1992 by Aggimarangsee, and the distribution and status of
long-tailed macaques across Thailand published in 2008 by Malaivijitnond
and Hamada. Although Eudey (
2008
) reported that long-tailed macaques in
Southeast Asia were rapidly declining due to habitat loss, trapping, and trading
for use in pharmaceutical research, many troops of long-tailed macaques in
Thailand are locally overcrowded (i.e., a high number of macaques in a limited
habitat area) and in conflict with humans (Malaivijitnond and Hamada,
2008
).
Another threat to long-tailed macaques in Thailand is hybridization with other
macaque species as a consequence of pet release (Malaivijitnond
et al
.,
2005
;
Malaivijitnond and Hamada,
2008
). This pollutes their gene pool and may
cause a problem, especially as long-tailed macaques are used as animal models
for drug developments in biomedical research.
This chapter presents an overview of information gathered to date regarding
the distribution and status of long-tailed macaques in Thailand, addresses issues
associated with the close human and long-tailed macaque sympatry, commensal
and conflicting relationships, as well as the potential impacts of such relation-
ships. The data presented were gathered using the methods subsequently out-
lined which include: questionnaire surveys, field surveys, capture-and-release
techniques, literature and media reviews, and preliminary data from an intensive
investigation of the human-long-tailed macaque interface at Lopburi, a renowned
monkey city in Thailand, from interviews and direct field observations.
Materials and methods
Questionnaire survey
A questionnaire about thirteen species of non-human primates in Thailand
was sent with a brochure and stamped envelope to the leader (or Kamnan)
of each sub-district (or Tambon). Generally, most of Kamnans in Thailand
are locals and live in the areas for a long time before they are elected, there-
fore we supposed that they knew the area well. In the year 2003, a website
about each Tambon in Thailand was established and launched for the promo-
tion of the program of “One Tambon One Product (OTOP)”, and the address
of each Tambon for our questionnaire survey was accessed from there. The
questionnaires (see
Appendix 5.1
) were sent throughout Thailand, except
the metropolitan Bangkok, to a total of 7,410 Tambons. After the completed
