Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
N
Philippines
Palau
Palau
Sulawesi
Halmahera
15 km
Babeldaob
New Guinea
Koror
0
100
500km
Peleliu
Ngeaur
Figure 10.1. Location maps for the Republic of Palau and for the island of Ngeaur.
area of study which has witnessed tremendous growth since its inception.
Ethnoprimatology explores our many cultural connections to non-human pri-
mates (Wheatley,
1999a
), especially such broadly commensal ones such as
M. fascicularis
. Animals do not live in physical environments alone but also
in social and cultural environments. Thus it is important to understand all of
these environments in order to explain the human response to animals such as
the long-tailed macaques. The species can be seen, for example, as a pest and
hunted as on Ngeaur or as a food source among the Penan of Borneo (Labang
and Medway,
1979
). The macaques of Bali, while seen as crop raiders, also
have a long history of association with and integration into the Hindu culture
(Wheatley,
1999a
). In contrast to Bali, the species has less integration into the
culture of Ngeaur, Palau. Many people on Ngeaur appear to view the macaques
as general pests, especially to agricultural crops, but there are some Islanders
who view the animals as part of their heritage (Farslow,
1987
; Marsh-Kautz
and Wheatley,
2004
).
