Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Hong Kong
Ngeaur
West
Papua
Kabaena
Tinjil
Mauritius
Figure 1.1. A map of Southeast Asia showing the approximate distribution of
M. fascicularis
shaded in gray. The regions they have colonized over the last several
centuries are marked by asterisks and labeled by name. Mauritius is inlayed on the
map, is located off the east coast of Africa, and is not to scale.
addition, there are also confirmed cases of recently human-introduced popula-
tions in other regions far from their natural range such as Mauritius (Sussman
and Tattersall,
1986
), Hong Kong (Southwick and Southwick,
1983
), and Palau
(Poirer and Smith,
1974
). An intentional introduction to a formerly unpopu-
lated island within the boundaries of their natural range occurred on Tinjil
Island to establish a breeding colony (Kyes,
1993
).
The population size of
M. fascicularis
is not well known (Southwick and
Siddiqi,
1994
). In the 1980s, Kathy Mackinnon (
1986
) provided population
estimates for primates in Indonesia and estimated that there were 3,726,860
long-tailed macaques. A year later, it was estimated that there were 309,360
macaques in mainland Southeast Asia (Mackinnon and Mackinnon,
1987
).
Using these figures, Fooden (
1995
) estimated that the entire natural population
of long-tailed macaques in the 1980s was somewhere around 5 million indi-
viduals. Eleven years later, he reassessed his estimation and suggested there
