Tourist Behavior and Decibel Levels Correlate with Threat Frequency in Tibetan Macaques (<i>Macaca thibetana</i>) at Mt. Huangshan, China

Ruesto, Lucy A.; Sheeran, Lori K.; Matheson, Megan D.; Li, Jinhua; Wagner, R. Steven

doi:10.1896/052.025.0115

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Emei andMt. Huangshen, China (Berman et al 2007;Matheson et al 2006;McCarthy et al 2009;Ruesto et al 2010;Zhao 1991Zhao , 2005, and Singapore (Fuentes et al 2008;Sha et al 2009a,b) demonstrates that human gender, behavior, ethnicity, and familiarity with other primates affects the patterns and contents of interactions. Macaque sex, age, experience with humans, and species-specific characteristics also shape the structure and contents of the interactions.…”

Section: Ethnoprimatology and The New Wave Of Human-alloprimate Intermentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnoprimatology and the Anthropology of the Human-Primate Interface

Fuentes

2012

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

216

115

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Humans are literal and figurative kin to other primates, with whom many of us coexist in diverse social, ecological, symbolic, conflictual, and even hopeful contexts. Anthropogenic action is changing global and local ecologies as fast as, or faster than, we can study them. Ethnoprimatology, the combining of primatological and anthropological practice and the viewing of humans and other primates as living in integrated and shared ecological and social spaces, is becoming an increasingly popular approach to primate studies in the twenty-first century. This approach plays a core linking role between anthropology and primate studies and may enable us to more effectively assess, and better understand, the complex ecologies and potential for sustainability in human-other primate communities. Here I review the basic theoretical underpinnings, historical contexts, and a selection of current research outcomes for the ethnoprimatological endeavor and indicate what this approach can tell us about human-other primate relations in the Anthropocene.

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Section: Ethnoprimatology and The New Wave Of Human-alloprimate Intermentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnoprimatology and the Anthropology of the Human-Primate Interface

Fuentes

2012

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

216

115

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“…Tourist sessions lasted on average 15.9 min ( SD = 8.70 min) with an average of 25 tourists per session ( SD = 19.2 tourists). In addition to all of the behaviors from the tourist behavioral ethogram [ 18 , 28 ], we saw tourists kick monkeys ( n = 1), touch or attempt to touch monkeys ( n = 2), play a birdcall to the monkeys ( n = 1) and a young child urinated on the viewing platform ( n = 1). Tourists sometimes brought food, including fruits, steamed buns, boiled eggs and packaged snacks ( n = 225).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Co-author Rie Usui coded all video data about tourist behaviors adapted from an ethogram ([ 18 , 28 ]; but we excluded barbed-wire shake due to the removal of barbed wire), which were classified into high, medium and low intensity levels for analysis. High-intensity tourist behaviors occurred ≤arm’s length with monkeys or >arm’s length with monkeys if tourists held (an) object(s) or food handout(s) (e.g., from the ethogram, touch, kick, show rock, throw corn).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ruesto et al [ 28 ] found that decibel readings positively correlated with rates of monkey aggression at VWM, so we measured noise as a potential aspect of management. Co-authors Alexander S. DuVall-Lash and Alexander J. Pritchard recorded decibel levels at the beginning and end of each monkey focal sample using an Extech 407730 40-to-130-Decibel Digital Sound Level Meter.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Park Rangers’ Behaviors and Their Effects on Tourists and Tibetan Macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, China

Usui

Sheeran

et al. 2014

Animals

Self Cite

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Simple SummaryConflict between macaques and humans is a commonly reported problem in Asian tourism. However, without understanding how macaques are managed, the establishment of an effective management design is impracticable. This study explored how monkeys were managed and tourists were regulated at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys in Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province, China, through a field observation. Two teams of park rangers alternated monthly and managed a group of macaques. The results suggested that undesired tourists’ interactions with monkeys were not regularly intervened by park rangers, and park rangers established dominance over the monkeys by using physical threats to manage them.AbstractPrevious studies have reported the negative impacts of tourism on nonhuman primates (NHPs) and tourists and advocated the improvement of tourism management, yet what constitutes good quality management remains unclear. We explored whether rates of macaque aggression and self-directed behaviors (SDBs) differed under the supervision of two park ranger teams at the Valley of the Wild Monkeys (VWM) in Mt. Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. The two ranger teams provisioned and managed a group of macaques on an alternating monthly basis. Monkey, tourist and ranger behaviors were collected from August 16–September 30, 2012. Macaque aggression and SDB rates did not differ significantly under the management of the two teams. Overall, there was little intervention in tourist-macaque interactions by park rangers, and even when rangers discouraged tourists’ undesirable behaviors, tourist interactions with monkeys persisted. Furthermore, only one or sometimes two park rangers managed monkeys and tourists, and rangers established dominance over the monkeys to control them. In order to effectively manage tourists and monkeys by a single park ranger, we recommend that rangers: (1) prohibit tourists from feeding; (2) move around the viewing platform more frequently; and (3) limit the number of tourists each visiting session.

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“…Threat displays in Tibetan macaques ( M. thibetana ) significantly increased as a result of tourist behaviours at Mt. Huangshan in China [Ruesto et al, 2010]. Maréchal et al [2011] reported that male Barbary macaques ( M. sylvanus ) in Morocco showed higher rates of self-directed behaviour when their interactions with humans increased.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural Responses of Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) to Tourists in a Provisioned Monkey Group in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve

Xia¹,

Bao-ping²,

Li³

et al. 2017

IJFP

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The appearance of tourists brings about behavioural changes in some primates. Primate behavioural responses to human activities can reflect their survival strategy. Little is known about how the behaviour of Rhinopithecus bieti changes in the presence of tourists. Here we provide the first detailed description of interactions between a provisioned group of R. bieti and tourists at Xiangguqing in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve from July 2012 to June 2013. We found that R. bieti had different response rates to the 5 most common human actions (shout, photograph, offer food, clap, and wave). Results indicated that R. bieti expresses 10 behavioural reactions (threat, escape, vigilance, warning, panic, alliance, attack, foraging, approach, and staring) to tourists' actions. On the whole, most of the monkeys' responses were unfriendly or hostile; a small number were neutral and affiliative. Behavioural responses were also significantly different among the different age/sex classes. Immature individuals engaged in more affiliative behaviours than adult individuals, and adult males tended towards more hostile behaviours. The behaviour of R. bieti towards tourists showed both tension and adaptability. Scientific management of provisioned monkey groups and strict regulation of tourist behaviour is needed in order to protect the animals from the negative effects of tourism-related disturbance.

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Tourist Behavior and Decibel Levels Correlate with Threat Frequency in Tibetan Macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, China

Cited by 22 publications

References 22 publications

Ethnoprimatology and the Anthropology of the Human-Primate Interface

Ethnoprimatology and the Anthropology of the Human-Primate Interface

Park Rangers’ Behaviors and Their Effects on Tourists and Tibetan Macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan, China

Behavioural Responses of Yunnan Snub-Nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) to Tourists in a Provisioned Monkey Group in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve

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