A species of monkeys sacred in India. Symbols of India - monkeys
In the Indian capital of Delhi - new guards of peace and life of citizens. These are tailed langur monkeys. No one but them can cope with the macaques, which Lately More and more people are being attacked.
Religion prohibits Hindus from harming these animals. But in nature everything is balanced, and it turned out that dangerous macaques are very afraid of long-tailed langurs and do not dare to approach them.
Elite suburb of New Delhi. Every day from 8 am to 5 pm there is a security guard named Sunil. He walks around the area, menacingly raising his two-meter tail and sometimes baring his fangs. His partner Anish tells how these inhabitants of the Indian jungle - langurs - were called into service.
“The authorities were looking for trainers for the captured monkeys. I trained him, we worked together and have been patrolling this territory together for several years now - he drives the macaques away from here, I drive away onlookers from him,” says the trainer.
The guard langur appeared in the area after the most famous man-monkey fight in India. On a beautiful glass balcony, a respectable man of about fifty was reading a newspaper. Suddenly a noise was heard, the owner was thrown from the second floor onto the asphalt, and he died on the way to the hospital. The dead man turned out to be the newly elected vice-mayor of Delhi, and the attackers were macaques.
This tragedy showed that macaques are dangerous neighbors even for the most senior Indian. Now in the center of Delhi alone the population of primates is about 20,000 animals - this is more than in many Indian national parks. Their native home The jungles are increasingly crowding out big cities, so the red-faced monkeys, as they are called here, go to these big cities for food, and the Indians cannot refuse them this.
Monkeys in India are considered the earthly incarnation of the god Hanuman, and therefore are no less sacred than, for example, cows. They cannot be kicked out, beaten, much less killed; the monkeys can only be appeased. For example, a banana. And how then to deal with their invasion? Indian veterinarians came up with the idea of forcing them to use protection. No kidding. We have to mix oral contraceptives into the macaques’ food, fortunately, human ones are quite suitable.
But either because hormonal drugs are expensive, or because not all of them reach their intended recipients, the program was quickly curtailed. The fertility of primates has not decreased at all - in Delhi they began to raid the Indian Parliament and even visit the presidential palace, gnawing wires and throwing themselves at officials. Supreme Court stood up for civil servants and obliged the mayor’s office to find a new solution.
“There are 200-300 monkeys in my area. And they already know me by sight. They see me and run away. But I can’t relax and shut up even for a minute - they will attack. That’s why my voice dies every evening,” says Mahendr Harisankar.
And in tourist city Agra monkeys turned everything upside down.
“We have a cage here. For people. Previously, there was none, and tourists came here in the afternoon heat and enjoyed the view of the Taj Mahal. Monkeys also came to steal food. Such encounters are a risk for tourists. They often end in bites,” says Restaurant owner Ankit Saraswat.
Indian doctors have found that monkeys can carry up to 40 infections. This rooftop restaurant, like many others in Agra, is deserted - few enjoy the view of the Taj Mahal from behind bars. And the owner can only joke, saying that the macaques have shown who is boss.
Russians purchasing tours to India should be very careful while on the streets of Indian cities. Tourists are rarely threatened local residents and even criminals and the police treat tourists more than kindly. In large Indian cities there are even special police departments that deal with all issues and problems of tourists.
The worst threat on the streets of Indian cities is macaques. It’s scary to imagine, but in Delhi alone there are more than 10 thousand of them, although of course, the number of street robbers is difficult to accurately determine, because they multiply quite quickly.
Monkeys in India are a sacred animal, and therefore beating, much less killing, them is strictly prohibited, both for local residents and law enforcement officers. According to Indian beliefs, the macaque is the earthly representative of the deity Hanuman, who is quite revered among Hindus. Moreover, Hindu traditions require treating all sacred animals on Tuesday and Saturday. Which, naturally, Indians do regularly. As a result, monkeys feel more than at ease on the streets of Indian cities.
Despite all the tricks of the tailed robbers, it is useless to complain about them, since the police do not react to their antics, and there are simply no other services in India that deal specifically with monkeys. Fully aware of their impunity, the monkeys are creating real “mayhem” on the streets of Delhi.
Monkeys are primarily interested in food supplies. Therefore, when they see something of interest to the monkeys in the hands of the townspeople, they do not hesitate to attack even people. As a result, the monkeys literally snatch packages, bags and other things from the hands of local residents. Moreover, attacks are rarely limited to the theft of food supplies, because they still need to be reached. And the teeth of Indian macaques are quite sharp. That’s why bags or other things torn to shreds are not uncommon.
Monkeys have no less attention to bright and shiny objects. Therefore, mirrors and photographic equipment should be used carefully so as not to attract the attention of four-legged primates.
Reports of incidents involving monkeys appear almost regularly. One of the most striking examples of the outrages committed by monkeys was the destruction and disruption of a wedding ceremony. An Indian wedding is always accompanied by colorful costumes and a wild feast. Similar activity on one of the streets of Delhi attracted the attention of a whole troop of monkeys. As a result, food supplies were practically destroyed, clothes were torn, and the wedding was disrupted, and some guests needed health care, since wounds caused by the teeth and claws of monkeys can be dangerous.
Interestingly, almost everyone suffers from the monkey invasion - government and public institutions, police officers, local residents, as well as tourists. Therefore, while on the streets of an Indian city, you should not once again attract the attention of four-legged animals. And when coming into contact with them, you should be quite careful, as their bites are very unpleasant and painful.
Order - Primates / Suborder - Dry-nosed / Infraorder - Apes / Parvoorder - Narrow-nosed monkeys/ Superfamily - Dog-headed / Family - Marmosets / Genus - Macaques
History of the study
Indian macaque, or bonnet macaque (lat. Macaca radiata) is one of the species of macaques.
The Indian macaque has been identified as separate species individuals of their monkey family back in the early 19th century - in 1812. However, until now, for more than two hundred years, there has been a debate about their further classification, since many believe that there are two more subspecies of these animals. However, no one can yet accurately determine and confirm the presence of such diversity, since even if there are other species, they live in very close connection with each other.
Spreading
Habitats of the species: mountainous rainforests India, sometimes go to cities.
Appearance
Adults, both male and female, have approximately the same height - from 40 to 60 cm. However, their sexual division can be distinguished differently external sign– proportionality of the tail. With the same body length, the length of their tails ranges from 55 cm (in females) to 70 cm (in males). The mass of primates of this species is small. So in females the weight is about five kilograms, and in males 7–8 kg.
The structure of the head of bonnet macaques has its own characteristics. They have a completely flat profile, and their skin painted light brown. Also in its structure you can find cheek pouches, which is explained by their type of nutrition. As a rule, they store small plants and nuts in these compartments.
The color of the coat has a light brown tint and is almost uniform, as is its strong density.
Lifestyle
The ideal habitat for these animals is the tropical forests of India, which are located in mountainous areas. Slopes are most comfortable for these monkeys, which every now and then descend to the ground. They are diurnal animals and sleep at night on tree branches.
Indian macaques live in large flocks. Thus, on one branched tree located on a slope, a friendly family of up to 80 individuals can huddle.
The hierarchical system of relationships is based on kinship maternal line. Young females remain in their native herd even after reaching sexual maturity, while males at this age are forced to leave the herd.
Nutrition
The macaque feeds on ripe fruits, leaves, insects, as well as crops on agricultural plantations - grains, rice, peanuts, coconuts and coffee beans.
Number
Thanks to such large communities, as well as the unpretentious nature of their habitat and animal protection measures in India, Indian bonnet macaques are not in danger of extinction in the near future.
Many inhabitants of the post-Soviet space imagine a monkey as a sweet and docile creature. The reason for this is good fairy tales and cartoons from the times of the USSR. Meanwhile, Rudyard Kipling was largely truthful when describing the evil banderlogs.
Thailand has long been particularly popular among Russian-speaking tourists. India has not been far behind in this indicator for some time now. But among the polite Indians and smiling Thais, there are increasingly other local residents who are much less friendly. Active cutting forest areas in these countries has led to increasing numbers of monkeys moving into cities. Having found there a good food supply and favorable conditions for living and leisure, the animals establish themselves in a new territory and begin to reproduce randomly. At the same time, both Thais and Indians traditionally give monkeys a certain sacred status, so there is no talk of shooting emigrants from the jungle. And measures such as sterilization give disappointing results.
Abusing permissiveness, the monkeys of India and Thailand diligently damage public and private property, break television antennas, and gnaw communication wires. Moreover, the researchers noticed that primates are capable of conscious, deliberate hooliganism. In the process of creating nasty things, they act secretly, constantly look around and are ready to give a go. A separate sad topic for conversation is monkey kleptomania. Macaques, monkeys and other furry brethren steal not only food, but also things for human use, which are absolutely useless for animals. Swarms of monkeys stage devastating raids not only on the gardens of villagers, but also on houses and even apartments. There are cases where in India hordes of monkeys literally captured entire villages. It should be noted that while local residents are at least able to repel aggressors, tourists have a much more difficult time in this war. In the first half of 2013, 600 people were injured in monkey attacks in the Thai province of Krabi, including 450 foreign tourists.
The greatest trouble that primates can cause is physical attack. Urban monkeys, naturally, are not capable of ferocious reprisals in the spirit of an angry male gorilla - they are not that strong. But bites or scratches will require serious treatment from the victim: a minimum of tetanus vaccinations. Therefore, tourists should adopt some simple techniques, which, by the way, work great with our quite European dogs. From the main point: do not provoke primates. If your child is accustomed, due to your oversight, to teasing monkeys in the zoo, then keep in mind that in both India and Thailand animals are not fenced off with bars, they walk wherever they want and do whatever they want, disregarding laws, codes and other regulations local administration. You shouldn't smile cute monkeys! Copying in many ways human facial expressions, primates do not recognize smiles; for them, a smile is a demonstration of teeth, a grin. There is no need to be afraid of excessive monkey attention and run away - for the pack this can be a signal to attack. To drive away the tailed hooligan, sometimes it is enough to take a stick - the monkeys will realize that they are about to be beaten and will go in search of another victim. If a monkey persistently tries to take away the sandwich you recklessly decided to snack on right on the street, a reasonable solution would be to simply give the food back. There are known cases when a lone monkey, trying to take away fruit or chocolate from a tourist, received a slap on the wrist from him and immediately gathered a whole gang of associates with screams. Therefore, do not even think about beating beggars - it is not only unethical, but also dangerous. You should be especially careful if a whole flock led by a leader is interested in you.
Photo: stuartshepherd.co.uk
It happens that insolent monkeys simply surround the tourist and do not allow him passage. In this case, a brave throw of a banana (or any food product) as far and to the side as possible will help. The flock will quickly rush after the prey, and you will be able to retreat quietly. There is also no shame in asking any local passerby for help - primates clearly separate tourists from natives. Some guests in India said that extortion monkeys are especially afraid of the police and will flee the crime scene at the mere sight of an official uniform. It is also a smart idea to follow the warning signs about the dangers of feeding monkeys. Treat one cute animal and you will get several dozen who want to receive no less goodies. And given that the primates are accustomed to the generous gifts of tourists, they will brazenly terrorize any guest of the country for food. Watch your children especially carefully and be always nearby: monkeys can mistake children for play partners, and during such “fun” scratches and even bites are possible.
Photo: isastudentblog.wordpress.com
A lot of work will be required from you to preserve your belongings. Monkeys are not only skillful at stealing on the streets, they can easily break into homes, and they have enough ingenuity to climb into, for example, a refrigerator. Keep in mind, even if you check into a fairly high floor of the hotel, this will not be a hindrance for the monkey. And when you go out onto the balcony of the fifth floor, for example, to admire the morning Delhi, do not be surprised when you come across the demanding gaze of a macaque waiting for you. Thieves confidently open backpacks and bags; a zipper lock is no longer a hindrance for them; they deftly rip off any jewelry from hands and necks. Be prepared to meet monkey criminal groups not only in the middle of a park or boulevard, but also in cafes, supermarkets and even in government offices.
Be careful during a photo shoot: cute monkeys may willingly pose, but then steal the camera as a fee. When going on a city tour, remove all items of clothing that can be grabbed and torn off: belts, waistbands, phone cases, purses. Take care of your hats; monkeys do not wear hats or caps, but do not miss the opportunity to rip them right off their heads. If you wear glasses, be prepared for some monkey to steal them. Women should not use bright and shiny hair clips - monkeys often grab them for unknown purposes. Hold any valuables tightly to you; If the furry villain fails to steal the item using the element of surprise, he will most likely escape. If you use a car when visiting India, leave it in the parking lot, remove the windshield wipers, the antenna and hide everything inside the cabin that the monkeys can tear off - they will definitely try.
Photo: framework.latimes.com
In many countries in the East Asian region, monkeys behave in a decorous and well-mannered manner. But when visiting the cities, resorts and beaches of Thailand and India, be prepared to encounter monkey mayhem. And don't be fooled by appearances: cute and funny animal can cause a lot of trouble.
Photo: thecrowdedplanet.com
The Indian macaque (lat. Macaca radiata) is a small primate from the monkey family (Cercopithecidae). His head is decorated with luxurious hair, reminiscent of a dark cap. It is also called the bonnet macaque or zati. The animal is not afraid of humans and due to the contraction natural environment habitat willingly settles near villages and temples.
In many regions it causes serious damage to farmers, destroying crops in fields and plantations. The monkey is easily tamed and has a relatively docile and curious character. It is often used for laboratory research; in captivity it becomes strongly attached to its owner.
Spreading
The species is widespread throughout India. The largest populations are found in the coastal regions of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Monkeys easily adapt to various landscapes, preferring wooded areas. In the north of the country they settle in mountain forests at altitudes of about 2100 m above sea level. In the lowlands they inhabit primary and secondary forests, bush and savannas. In many Indian cities they make a living by begging and stealing food supplies.
To date, 2 subspecies are known – M.c. radiata and M.c. diluta. The second subspecies is found on the southeastern coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It differs from the nominate subspecies in having a lighter belly.
Behavior
Indian macaques are active daytime look life, forming groups with an average size of about 30 individuals. Unlike many other primates, they have no obvious hierarchical division during fur preening. Even dominant males take great pleasure in looking for insects in the fur of their young fellow tribesmen.
Monkeys on vacation try to experience close physical contact with members of their own sex. Older animals demonstrate obvious care for the younger ones, trying in every possible way to cheer them up, console and caress them. Young individuals love to scream loudly and playfully imitate attacks on each other. In such games Active participation Dominant males accept it, even allowing children and adolescents to bite themselves.
Home lots are very large. The area of holdings of one group can reach 50 hectares. Primates usually stay in their area for a long time and leave it only after a significant decrease in food base. Sites different groups, as a rule, intersect, but the meeting of two clans does not lead to aggression. Monkeys also coexist peacefully with langurs (Presbytis) and (Macaca Silenus).
Fruits occupy 47-53% of the total diet. In addition to them, the daily menu includes seeds, leaves and flowers of various plants.
Food of animal origin consists of insects, small lizards and frogs. Macaques especially like the fruits of karanja (Pongamia pinnata), fig tree (Ficus carica) and large grasshoppers (Tettigoniodea).
Animals are busy searching for food during daylight hours. IN populated areas willingly feed food waste local residents.
Reproduction
Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 3-4 years, and in males at 4-6 years. IN northern regions range mating season passes in early spring, and in the rest all year round. Peak birth rates occur from February to April. Fertility of females depends on the abundance of food and social status.
Pregnancy lasts from 155 to 165 days. The female brings only one baby. Fathers do not take a direct part in raising their offspring and begin to show interest in them only after reaching adolescence. The cubs feed on mother's milk for 6-7 months.
Females give birth every 1-2 years and usually produce a total of about 5 babies. Menopause occurs at 27 years of age.
For the first six months, the cubs are inseparable from their mother, hanging on her back or paws. After finishing milk feeding, they learn to get their own food on their own, and in the second year they move on to independent existence. Females stay with their closest relatives, and mature males join other clans.
Description
The length of the body and tail of adult individuals is 40-50 cm. Weight is 3000-6000 g. Females are smaller and lighter than males.
The fur color is brownish, yellowish-brownish or olive-brown. The abdomen is lighter. The face is reddish or flesh-colored, devoid of hair. There is no hair on the ears either.
Cheek pouches allow you to store and carry food. Their volume is approximately equal to the volume of the stomach. On the head there is a dark “cap” characteristic of this species. It is especially noticeable in sexually mature males.
Under natural conditions, the life expectancy of Indian macaques rarely exceeds 18-19 years. In captivity, with good care, it increases to 30 years.
