The Rainforest Habitat Blog

Yai’s Monkeys

July 14, 2008

It turns out the monkeys are Crab-Eating Macaques, also known as Long-tailed monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). They are ecologically diverse and, despite their name, will eat almost anything!

I decided to visit the Yai’s  house today and ask her about the monkeys. As I pulled up outside her house, I heard the familiar rustle of branches. The monkeys were in the trees around the lower temple on the road! There were less than before suggesting that they were a different group. Again, as I got closer, camera in hand, they disappeared into the forest. They didn’t seem to mind if I stayed on the road watching them, but as soon as I stepped into the forest, they fled. This behaviour could reflect on a possible past experience with hunting. There have been reports of the monkeys being shot by villagers, when they raided their crops for food. However, this seems to be the only time people have a problem with the monkeys.

It is clearly going to be difficult to accurately assess the numbers of monkeys in the area. There may be three groups, but I don’t know if these are permanent or temporary groupings. The best chance of counting them is when they are moving down or up the mountain and to find a place where overhanging trees enable them to cross the road.

After the monkeys had gone, I spoke to Yai about the monkeys, and it was obvious from the way she talked, that she was really quite fond of them. She told me she leaves 3 buckets of water out for them every morning and evening in the hot season. She also leaves mangoes out for them sometimes, but they don’t eat these. She thinks that they are scared of being poisoned. They have no problem eating her Lum Yai, (Longon) though. She told me that they had been in the orchard the day before but it didn’t seem to be a problem for her.

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