Primate- Human Conflicts

Crop raiding by wildlife is neither a new phenomenon nor a rare one. Crop raiding is one of the primates-human conflicts happened in Malaysia. Not only Malaysia, the crop raiding problem happened throughout the world.
In Malaysia, the primate conflict had reached the climax which they had tried several of mechanism to move out the wild macaque to another place. The primates will create lots of disturbance to residents. But in fact, No one are allowed to trap or export the primates unless succeed in getting permission from the Malaysia Department of Wildlife and National Park.

Many might get curious why “they” are so successful in the crop raiding? Why??
a)Intelligence
Primates are being recognized as being highly intelligent animals. Their intelligence helps them to overcome deterrents such as fences, scarecrows. They have ability to quickly learn new behaviors to reach success of their crop raiding activities.
b) Adaptability
Primates can be quickly adapted to new circumstances and environments. In areas under serious ecological change and habitat modifications, many herbivores are unable to adapt and eventually they are disappear. Primates are among the most adaptable of all animals and a few species.
c) Complex social organization
Primates often live in large groups with an extensive of co-operation behavior. This gives them an advantage when crop raiding as they can work together to maximize their gain.
d)Protected by wildlife laws
Traditionally farmers would have set snares and cage traps to capture crop-raiding primates, and would also have hunted in their fields. But now, with wildlife laws and hunting prohibitions protecting many primate species these control methods are no longer available to farmers.

From human perspective, primary conflict start with non human primate arises from agriculture field. In many parts of the tropical world, humans rely on garden plots to satisfy their basic nutritional needs. When their garden raided to other non human primate habitats, which can become an easy and favored food source for the monkey and apes, they will have some trouble. In Asia, both macaque monkeys and leaf monkeys normally raid human gardens. In some areas of central and western Africa chimpanzees and gorilla have using human crops as food sources. Changing with the human social, economic, political and associated with deforestation result in nonhuman primates coming into increasingly regular contact with humans.

But problem having now, there are many primates in the danger zone, headed for extinction, known as critically endangered species!! Of the 394 primate species in the world, 114 are classified as threatened due to habitat destructed, trade in live animals or their body parts, and the sale of their meat for human consumption. In the Unites State and Europe medical research relies heavily on the use of nonhuman primates as test subjects. The research crab-eating macaques, pig-tailed macaques marmosets, squirrel monkeys and tamarins are the common used in researcher at all in the U.S. As a food source, it is not uncommon for nonhuman primates the bush meat, which known as meat of wild animals for sale at markets in Africa. In Asia, and South America, nonhuman primate meat is less likely to be sold in markets, but it is quite likely to be a part of dweller meals.

How do we solve this problem for sustainability live between primates and human? I think we have to carefully evaluate park boundaries to minimized primate human conflict. In order to reduce such conflicts, it is critical that in some regions, detailed studies of primate community’s home ranges, ecology and diet are carried out before establishing boundaries of new reserves of national parks. It will provide essential refuges for the population of primates and assurance for their future and present conservation. And what do u think?