PREDICTING THE POPULATION TREND OF THE RHESUS MACAQUE (Macaca mulatta) AT SON TRA PENINSULA, DA NANG CITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1059.2026-0008Keywords:
Macaca mulatta, Rhesus macaque, population trend, Vortex, Da NangAbstract
The Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population at Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang city, is experiencing conflicts with both residents and tourists, manifested in aggressive foraging behaviors and frequent incursions into residential areas. This study evaluated whether the rhesus macaque population on the Son Tra Peninsula has approached the carrying capacity of the habitat and assessed its projected trajectory under different snaring scenarios. In this study, a transect survey method was used to estimate the number of individuals in the macaque troops and the total number of individuals in the entire Son Tra Peninsula area. The age and sex structure of the troops was also recorded using this method. Population size, age–sex structure, group composition, and relevant ecological and demographic parameters were entered into Vortex 10 to simulate population trajectories over the next 50 to 100years. The results show that under current conditions, with a total of 1487 individuals observed, the Rhesus macaque population in Son Tra has the potential to increase to approximately 1922 individuals. If the rate of illegal snaring consistently exceeds10% of the total population at that time, the population size will begin to decline and gradually become extinct within 100 years.
References
[1] Anand S & Radhakrishna S, (2020). Is human-rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) conflict in India a case of human-human conflict? Ambio 2020, 49, 1685-1696. DOI: 101007/s13280-020-01324w.
[2] Riley EP & Priston NE, (2010). Macaques in Farms and Folklore: Exploring the Human-Nonhuman Primate Interface in Sulawesi, Indonesia. American Journal of Primatology, 72, 848-854. DOI: 101002/ajp20798.
[3] Kaburu SSK, Marty PR, Beisner B, Balasubramanian K, Bliss-Moreau E, Kaur K, Mohan L & McCowan B, (2018). Rates of human–macaque interactions affect grooming behavior among urban-dwelling rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 168(1), 92-103. DOI:10.1002/ajpa.23722.
[4] Balasubramaniam KN, Marty PR, Arlet ME, Beisner BA, Kaburu SSK, Bliss-Moreau E, Kodandaramaiah U & McCowan B, (2020). Impact of anthropogenic factors on affiliative behaviors among bonnet macaques. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 171(4), 704-717. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24013.
[5] Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son Inter-district Forestry Protection Station, (2020). Report on the Status of Biodiversity at Son Tra Nature Reserve, Da Nang city 2017 - 2019.
[6] Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son Inter-district Forestry Protection Station, (2023). Report on Biodiversity at Son Tra Nature Reserve, Da Nang city 2020 - 2022.
[7] Cui Q, Ren Y & Xu H, (2021). The escalating effects of wildlife tourism on human–wildlife conflict. Animals, 11(5), 1378. DOI: 10.3390/ani11051378.
[8] Dittus WPJ, Gunathilake S & Felder M, (2019). Assessing public perceptions and solutions to human-macaque conflict from 50 years in Sri Lanka. Folia Primatologica, 90(2), 89-108. DOI: 10.1159/000496025.
[9] Tran HV, Tran NS, Nguyen VK, Vo TTT, Le TT, (2016). Research on the Distribution of Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang city. Proceedings of the 2nd National Scientific Conference on Biological Research and Teaching in Vietnam, Da Nang, May 20th, 2016, 887-891.
[10] Sterling E, Bynum N, Blair M, (2013). Primate Ecology and Conservation – A Handbook of Techniques, 1st edition, Oxford University Press. DOI:101093/acprof:oso/97801996594490010001.
[11] Cooper EB, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S, Malaivijitnond S, Hai ZQ & Higham JP, (2022). The Natural History of Model Organisms – The rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene eLife 2022,11:e78169. DOI: 107554/eLife78169.
[12] Lacy RC, PS Miller & Traylor-Holzer K, (2021). Vortex 10 User’s Manual 30 March 2021 update IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, and Chicago Zoological Society, Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA.
[13] Hasan MK, Aziz MA, Alam SMR, Kawamoto Y, Jones-Engel L, Kyes RC, Akhtar S, Begum S & Feeroz MM, (2013). Distribution of Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh: Inter-population Variation in Group Size and Composition. Primate Conservation, 26(1), 125-132. DOI: 10.1896/052.026.0103.
[14] Rawlins RG, Kessler MJ & Turnquist JE, (1984). Reproductive Performance, Population Dynamics and Anthropometrics of the Free-Ranging Cayo Santiago Rhesus Macaques. Journal of Medical Primatology, 13, 247-259.
[15] Blomquist GE, (2013). Maternal effects on offspring mortality in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology, 75(3), 238-251. DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22117.
[16] Widdig A, Bercovitch FB, Streich WJ, Sauermann U, Nürnberg P & Krawczak M,(2004). A longitudinal analysis of reproductive skew in male rhesus macaques. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271, 819-826. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2666.
[17] Anderson CJ, Heard DJ, Andreu MA, Hostetler ME & Johnson SA, (2017). Winter Home Range and Habitat Selection of a Rhesus Macaque Group (Macaca mulatta) at Silver Springs State Park. Florida Scientist, 80(4), 159-164.
[18] Valle, S, (2024). A Population Viability Analysis (PVA) approach to the conservation ofthe Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Apple Valley, MN: IUCN SSCConservation Planning Specialist Group.
