News from the CEPA e-mail list

Abundance of Monkeys - a compilation of replies from 24 - 27/06/05

There have been several messages from list members in response to a request for advice from Mr Harban Singh on controlling an expanding population of long-tailed macaques in a Ramsar Site in Malaysia (original message entitled Abundance of Monkeys (23/06/05). I have collated the replies from list members below and thank them all for responding to Mr Singh's message.

Best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat
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24/06/05 Message from Dibjo Sartono, CEPA Indonesia

Dear Mr. Singh,

Re your problem of macaque, I think there is a technique called "calling" as a tool for population control, which means calculating the habitat population balance and harvesting the surplus. Have you done that?

I think you better evaluate the condition of the habitat, calculate the carrying capacity, how many macaque can be accommodated, then, count the population of macaque, is it overpopulated or not.

If yes, you may decide at least two alternatives:

enrich the habitat for higher carrying capacity;
harvest the surplus, may be moved to other area or sell them to the market.

There are big markets for long tailed macaque.

I think it is not forbidden to harvest, even though it is a conservation area.

Now you can decide, up to you. Just suggestion. Thank you. Regards, Dibjo Sartono

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24/06/05 Message from Nishanthi Perera, UNEP-WCMC

Dear Mr Singh

When I was visiting Australia last year, I saw that the farmers use specialized sound systems to chase away the birds from the Cherry farms. I dont know whether anyone have come up with similar option to keep away the monkeys!

Nishanthi Perera

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24/06/05 Message (1) from Shivakumar Nyamathi, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, India

Yes, making a sound or noise with in permissible limit it is alright. But it disturbs other spices in wetlands which are very sensitive!!

Of-course monkeys can move away what about other spices which can move away so easily due to its limitation in movement.

Thanking you, Shivakumar Nyamathi

24/06/05 Message (2) from Shivakumar Nyamathi

Hello Singh,

I agree with Dibjo Sartono CEPA Indonesia.

One more thing keep area/surrounding clean, I mean better not to dump the stuff which increase/encourages monkeys.

Ok! Shivakumar Nyamathi

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24/06/05 Message from David Aniku, Department of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Botswana

Dear Mr. Singh

Try the following:

1. Capture and translocate.
2. Close the area for tourists.
3. Forbid tourists to bring food and bags into the area.
4. Forbid tourists from feeding monkeys
5. Remove all dustbins and apply an "all garbage out" policy.
6. Use monkey-proof dust bin
7. Put contraceptives in the food.
8. If all that fails try and scare them by shooting in the air until they come to associate human beings with species who want to eliminate them.

Good luck, David Aniku

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27/06/05 Message (1) from Bruce Gray, Assistant Director, Inland Waters Section, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, Australia.

Dear Harban and Nishanthi,

Our farmers do indeed use accoustic generators (lthey make a sound like a gun going off) to scare birds. I suspect that primates will very rapidly get used to the noise and ignore it, plus it may have unintended impacts (on non-target species and on tourism).

Yours, Bruce Gray

27/06/05 Message (2) from Bruce Gray

Hi Everyone!

I think the word is "culling" (which, depending on circumstances, and involve non-leathal and leathal techniques). In the non-leathal category, one option might by a zoo transfer program, as there may be overseas zoos which might be interested in some of these animals.

Yours, Bruce Gray

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27/06/05 Message (2) from Dibjo Sartono, CEPA Indonesia

Dear Mr. Singh,

Thanks for your email. I also want to thank to all member of the group (CEPA Group) that response to my suggestion. Yes, I made a mistake/mistyped, the word is "culling" not "calling". Thank you.

What I mean with population control is the art of management used to be called PHVA = Population Habitat Viability Assessment. It's the art of how to always balancing the population of certain species with the carrying capacity of the habitat.

In principle, if you want to save a certain species, then you have to give room enough for them to live naturally. I think this is a basic science in conservation management. So if, from your assessment, there are still room enough for the species you can try to increase the population, including, may be as a rescue area from the other area that will be converted.

But, if you find that the habitat is not enough for the population then, you have to reduce the population 'culling" it may be by shooting (the most unwanted tool) by transferring to other habitat or may be by utilizing them for other purpose, say for food, for medicine or for developing research and science, use them in laboratory etc.

How, it's up to you, you have to decide according to your specific condition.

Habitat may be decrease through conversion of the area, destroyed by other activities say like logging or others, but if it is because of degradation activities, you have to stop them and rehabilitate the habitat.
I hope this can give you more information about what I mean with population control.

Thank you. Regards, Dibjo Sartono

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27/06/05 Message from Hastings Maloya, Programme Officer, Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust, Malawi

Good people, I am interested to know how this population grew. Much as it is a problem to our colleagues today, it could be of importance to some of us to learn howe monkey population can grow. We need them here.