HUMAN-MACAQUE INTERACTIONS ON SON TRA PENINSULA, DA NANG CITY: MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COEXISTENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1059.2026-0009Keywords:
human-macaque interactions, Macaca mulatta, provision, Son Tra, Da NangAbstract
This study examines the dynamics of human-macaque interactions on the Son Tra Peninsula, focusing on the influence of visitor and primate characteristics. Statistical analysis revealed that interaction distances predominantly ranged between 2 and 3 meters, suggesting a high degree of habituation within the population. A critical disparity was observed between visitor groups, as domestic visitors provisioned macaques with anthropogenic food significantly more frequently than international visitors (χ2 =22.123, p < 0.001). Among the primates, immature macaques were identified as the most active and bold age group, consistently displaying higher interaction intensity than adults or infants (F = 67.75, p < 0.05). Spatial analysis confirmed that Troop 8 and Troop 3 are the most habituated groups, often engaging in high-intensity proximity behaviors. These findings highlight the urgent need for demographic-specific management interventions to mitigate the risks of disease transmission and primate dependency on anthropogenic food.
References
[1] Anand S, Binoy VV & Radhakrishna S, (2020). The macaque is not always a God: Attitudinal differences toward crop-raiding macaques and why it matters for conflict mitigation. Ambio, 47(6), 711-720.
[2] Sha JCM, Gumert MD, Lee BPYH & et al., (2009). Macaque–human interactions and the societal perceptions of macaques in Singapore. American Journal of Primatology, 71(10), 825-839.
[3] Dittus WPJ, Gunathilake S & Felder, M (2019). Assessing Public Perceptions andSolutions to Human-Macaque Conflict from 50 Years in Sri Lanka. Folia Primatologica, 90(2), 89-108.
[4] Hambali K, Ismail A, Syaizwan ZZ, Md-Zain BM & Amir A, (2012). Human-Macaque Conflict and Pest Behaviors of Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Tropical Natural History, 12(2), 189-205.
[5] Fuentes A, (2006). Human culture and macaque behavior: Assessing the contexts of potential pathogen transmission between macaques and humans. American Journal of Primatology, 68(9), 880-896.
[6] Nguyen Van Minh, (2018). Evaluation of the hybridization between rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and long - tailed Macaques (M. fascicularis) in the central and central Highlands of Viet Nam based on morphological characters. Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, (345), 94-101 (in Vietnamese).
[7] Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son Inter-district Forestry Protection Station, (2020). Reporton the status of biodiversity at Son Tra Nature Reserve, Da Nang city 2017 - 2019.(in Vietnamese).
[8] Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son Inter-district Forestry Protection Station, (2023). Report on Biodiversity at Son Tra Nature Reserve, Da Nang city 2020 – 2022 (in Vietnamese).
[9] Altmann J, (1974). Observational Study of Behavior: Sampling Methods. Behaviour, 49(3), 227-67.
[10] Paterson JD, 2004. Primate Behavior - An Exercise Workbook Waveland Press, Inc,Illinois, USA.
[11] Fuentes A, Kalchik S, Gettler L, Kwiatt A, Konecki M & Jones-Engel L, (2008). Characterizing Human-Macaque Interactions in Singapore. American Journal of Primatology, 70(9), 879-883.
[12] Riley EP, (2007). The Human–Macaque Interface: Conservation Implications of Current and Future Overlap and Conflict in Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia. American Anthropologist, 109(3), 473-484.
[13] Marty PR, Balasubramaniam KN, Kaburu SSK, (2020). Individuals in urban dwelling primate species face unequal benefits associated with living in an anthropogenic environment. Primates, 61, 249-255.
[14] Gumert MD, Fuentes A & Jones-Engel L (eds.), (2011). Macaques on the Edge: Ecology and Management of Long-Tailed Macaques and their Interface with Humans, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
[15] Andrade MCR, Ribeiro CT, Silva VF, Molinaro EM, Gonçalves MAB, Marques MAP, Cabello PH & Leite JPG, (2004). Biological data of Macaca mulatta, Macacafascicularis, and Saimiri sciureus used for research at the Fiocruz Primate Center. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 99(6), 581-589.
[16] Feeroz MM, Schillaci MA, Begum S, Hasan MK, Aziz MA, Alam SMR, RahmanSM, Akhtar F, Engel GA & Jones-Engel L, (2010). Morphometric Assessment ofRhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) from Bangladesh. Primate Conservation, (25),119-125.
[17] Fooden J, (2000). Systematic review of the Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta. Fieldiana Zoology (New Series), (96), 1-180.
[18] Venables WN, Smith DM & the R Core Team, (2025). An Introduction to R - Notes on R: A Programming Environment for Data Analysis and Graphics Version 4.5.2(2025-10-31).
[19] Rittem S, Plangsangmas T & Ruegg SR, (2024). Ecosystem health appears neglected in the management of the human-macaque interface: A systematic review. One Health, 19, 100875.
[20] Kaburu SSK, Marty PR, Beisner BA & et al., (2019). Rates of human–macaqueinteractions affect grooming behavior among urban-dwelling rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 168(1), 92-103.
[21] Morrow KS, Glanz H, Ngakan PO & Riley EP, (2019). Interactions with humans are jointly influenced by life history stage and social network factors and reduce group cohesion in moor macaques (Macaca maura). Scientific Reports, 9, 1-12.
[22] Beisner BA, Heagerty A, Seil SK, Balasubramaniam KN, Atwill ER, Gupta BK & McCowan, B (2015). Human-wildlife conflict: Proximate predictors of aggression between humans and rhesus macaques in India. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 156(2), 286-294.
