Cheeky Macaques
Unnatural Surge in Population
Is that creature sitting in a tree calmly munching on a fruit a rhesus or longtailed macaque? A wild guess may give you the right answer because about 65% of the macaque population in Hong Kong is the rhesus species. Only 2% are longtailed, with the remaining 33% being hybrids of the two.
The rhesus macaque has a pink face and rump and the longtailed macaque lacks these characteristics and obviously has a very long tail.
Even if you get it right, you won't be identifying a species native to Hong Kong. Our wild natives were apparently long gone by the time the rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were introduced into Kowloon around 1915. At the time engineers believed that they would be useful in keeping the reservoir's shoreline clear of the strychnos plant that is toxic to humans but a delicacy to the macaques. The longtailed macaques (Mucaca fascicularis) are thought to be descendents of freed animals from a circus troupe in the 1950s.
Rhesus macaques are commonly found throughout Southern China across to Pakistan but the longtailed ones are more native to Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Macaques are the largest frugivores – fruit-eaters – in Hong Kong, and they can peel and consume a wide range of fruit when available, dropping and spitting seeds as they eat. Fruit can also be stashed in their cheek pouches, meaning that some seeds find their way to the ground far from the trees that sprouted the fruit.
They live in groups ranging from a small bunch of eight up to around 200, and are dominated by one male who is usually strong and aggressive.
Despite the prolonged period of care for newborn macaques and a six month gestation, females may give birth annually. Their fertility rate was found to be quite high, with nearly 60% of females giving birth in an early 1990s WWF Hong Kong sponsored study but this only partially explains the rapid increase in population. Visitor feeding of macaques has been blamed for the unnatural surge in the population from about 800 in 1992 to about 1,580 now. Most macaques are found in the Kam Shan, Lion Rock, and Shing Mun Country Parks (CPs) and the Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve but, according to an AFCD spokesman, there are reports of about 15 stray monkeys, mainly rhesus macaques, within the Sai Kung Country Park, from the Wong Shek to Chek Keng areas. Some residents believe this estimate is too low and that their numbers are growing.
A feeding ban has been in place since 1999 for Kam Shan, Lion Rock, Shing Mun and parts of Tai Mo Shan CPs and Tai Po Kau. Not only do people risk a maximum $10,000 fine but their actions are probably responsible for the macaques' excited acceptance of "donations" and their aggressive behaviour when visitors act responsibly and don't offer any food. There were 21 prosecutions for this offence in 2005 and 11 so far this year, with the average fine being between $600 and $800. Some Sai Kung CP residents have witnessed the monkeys being hand fed and others encouraging such feeding. If this were to continue, similar problems of rapid unnatural increases in numbers and incidences of nuisance behaviour will surely follow.
This macaque was being offered food inside the Sai Kung Country Park. In Kam Shan, Lion Rock, Shing Mun and parts of Tai Mo Shan Country Parks and Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, where a feeding ban has been in place since 1999, this person would face a maximum $10,000 fine if caught. Uncontrolled feeding is believed responsible for the unnatural increase in the monkey population and for their aggressive nuisance behaviour. |
In an effort to control the macaque numbers, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) introduced a trial contraceptive treatment program in 2002. The males are vasectomized while the females are sprayed with a contraceptive vaccine, which through a series of actions, eventually prevents penetration of the sperm through the wall of the egg. The trial in the Kam Shan and Lion Rock Country Parks has yet to finish but the aim is to get 30% to 55% of the fertile females out of the birthing process but still able to have fun.
Many thanks to Mr. C.L. Wong, Wetland Fauna Conservation Officer, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dept. for providing information for this article.