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Hasan MU, Widayati KA, Tsuji Y, Rianti P. Feeding ecology of free-ranging long-tailed macaques in East Java, Indonesia: Relationship with human food availability. Primates 2023:10.1007/s10329-023-01062-z. [PMID: 37031305 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-023-01062-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Food availability is an important factor affecting the feeding strategies of animals. Primate species living in habitats with high human activity have the potential to employ unique strategies to utilize human food resources. This study describes the feeding ecology of provisioned free-ranging long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) inhabiting Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia. The activity budgets, dietary compositions, vertical usage, and ranging patterns of macaques were recorded between October 2021 and March 2022, and their relationships with the number of visitors (a proxy of human food availability) were examined. The macaques consumed more human food (mean ± SD: 53.9 ± 25.6%) than natural food (43.8 ± 25.5%), followed by unidentified food (2.3 ± 6.3%). Human food has several effects on the behavioral ecology of macaques, including reduced movement and increased social activity in response to the number of visitors, decreased consumption of natural food, frequent use of the ground and subcanopy strata, and decreased home range when the number of visitors increases. Thus, the relative importance of human food has substantially changed the essential behavioral ecology of provisioned macaque troops. Understanding the behavioral plasticity of macaques, particularly their responses to anthropogenic effects, could guide and contribute to the formulation of conservation policies and management plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ubaidilah Hasan
- Department of Biology, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, 16680, Indonesia
| | | | - Yamato Tsuji
- Department of Socioecology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
- Department of Biology and Science, Ishinomaki Senshu University, Ishinomaki, Miyagi, 986-8580, Japan
| | - Puji Rianti
- Department of Biology, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, 16680, Indonesia
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Thatcher HR, Downs CT, Koyama NF. The costs of urban living: human–wildlife interactions increase parasite risk and self-directed behaviour in urban vervet monkeys. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The urban landscape is a complex mosaic of costs and benefits for urban wildlife. Although many species may adapt and thrive in the urban mosaic, the complexity of this landscape can be stressful and have health implications for urban wildlife, raising concerns for zoonosis and biodiversity. In this study, we assessed how human–primate interactions influenced parasite risk and anxiety-related behaviour of urban vervet monkeys in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Over 1 year, we collected and analysed faecal samples, assessing eggs per gram, species richness, and Shannon’s diversity index. In addition, using behavioural sampling, we recorded self-directed scratching behaviour, as an indicator of anxiety, and human–primate interactions, both positive (human-food consumption) and negative (human–monkey aggression). To assess parasite risk in the urban mosaic, we ran three models with our parasite measures as dependent variables. Results showed that negative human interactions significantly increased with eggs per gram, species richness, and Shannon’s diversity index and positive human interactions increased with both eggs per gram and species richness. Furthermore, eggs per gram significantly increased with higher scratching rate. We also tested the relationship between scratching and human interactions, finding that scratching significantly increased under higher rates of negative human incidents. Overall, results suggest that there are costs to urban living that increase anxiety-related behaviour and parasite risk despite increased food availability. Our findings are important for developing effective management strategies that focus on cohabitation rather than conflict, for the benefit of human and wildlife health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet R Thatcher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Colleen T Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal 3209, South Africa
| | - Nicola F Koyama
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology & Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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López-Álvarez J, Sanjorge Y, Soloaga S, Crailsheim D, Llorente M. Looking for Visitor's Effect in Sanctuaries: Implications of Guided Visitor Groups on the Behavior of the Chimpanzees at Fundació Mona. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9060347. [PMID: 31200436 PMCID: PMC6617045 DOI: 10.3390/ani9060347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of 'if and how captive primates are affected by visitors' has gained increasing attention over the last decades. Although the majority reported undesirable effects on behavior and wellbeing, many studies reported contradicting results. Most of these studies were conducted at zoos, typically with little or no control over visitors' actions. Yet little is known about the impact under very controlled visitor conditions. In order to fill this gap, we conducted this study at a primate sanctuary which allows public access only via a guided visit under strict supervision. We observed 14 chimpanzees, recording their behavior during, after and in the absence of guided visits over a 10-month period. Furthermore, we categorized the visitors regarding group size and composition to see if certain group types would produce a stronger impact on the chimpanzees' behavior. As expected, we found visitors at the sanctuary to produce only a neutral impact on the chimpanzees' behavior, detecting a slight increase of locomotion and decrease of inactivity during visitor activities with chimpanzees demonstrating more interest towards larger sized groups. We argue that the impact has been greatly mitigated by the strict visitor restrictions and care strategies allowing chimpanzees a certain control regarding their visibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana López-Álvarez
- Innovació i Formació, Fundació Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - Yaiza Sanjorge
- Innovació i Formació, Fundació Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - Sara Soloaga
- Innovació i Formació, Fundació Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - Dietmar Crailsheim
- Unitat de Recerca i Etologia, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain.
- Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, 17004 Girona, Spain.
| | - Miquel Llorente
- Unitat de Recerca i Etologia, Fundació Mona, 17457 Girona, Spain.
- Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, 17004 Girona, Spain.
- Institut de Recerca i Estudis en Primatologia-IPRIM, 17005 Girona, Spain.
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Muñoz-Delgado J, Pérez-Galicia S, Sánchez-Ferrer JC, Canales Espinosa D, Erkert HG. Diel and infradian (7-day) activity rhythms in Mexican spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept with and without visitor contact. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22933. [PMID: 30537387 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Diel activity rhythms in mammals are regulated by an endogenous (circadian) timing system which is synchronized by environmental 24-hr periodicities called zeitgebers. Additional direct responses to stochastic environmental factors ensure the fine-tuning to the actual situation and may mask the circadian time course. Following an observational study on behavioral effects of visitor activities in a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept free-ranging on a small island of Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, we analyzed the effect of weekly varying numbers of visiting tourist boats on the monkeys' diel activity rhythm. With small accelerometer-data logger devices we recorded the monkeys' locomotor activity continuously for several months each. Then we compared the data with those from spider monkeys living without tourist contact. Neither the duration of the monkeys' activity time (α) nor its phase relationship to the 24-hr solar day did change on different weekdays in either site. However, their activity level showed a clear 7-day rhythm. The monkeys of the tourist site showed highest activity on Saturday and Sunday, when the frequency of visiting tourist boats was highest, whereas those of the non-tourist site were least active on Sunday and Monday, when human activities were lowest there. While the monkeys of the non-tourist site usually displayed a distinct bimodal activity pattern peaking in the morning and late afternoon, the pattern in those of the tourist site mostly lacked a morning peak and varied more over time. Based on our results, we suggest that circadian entrainment is not involved in the differences between the diel activity rhythms of the spider monkeys from the two keeping sites and the differing 7-day variation in their activity level. Rather, these differences seemingly reflect direct responses to the differing human activities and thus may correspond to circadian masking effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jairo Muñoz-Delgado
- Dirección de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Cronoecología y Etología Humana, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Sergio Pérez-Galicia
- Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Domingo Canales Espinosa
- Dirección del Área Académica de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Hans G Erkert
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute for Zoology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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