Efforts on to put nagging macaques under control

A troop of macaques has been caught on camera raiding a village in southern China recently, sparking concerns about the balance between wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence.

Videos shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, show dozens of monkeys swinging from power lines, scaling walls and feasting on crops laid out to dry in the sun in Baoxian village in Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The macaque is a national second-class protected wild animal in China. They primarily inhabit dense forests or rocky mountains with sparse vegetation near cliffs, valleys alongside streams and riverbanks. Their diet consists of leaves, tender branches and wild vegetables.

"I've seen dozens of them at once, old ones leading the younger ones," said a villager surnamed Zhao, who has witnessed the macaque invasion firsthand.

"They dig up yams and sugarcane, steal oranges and eat the corn. We can only chase them away since they are under protection."

Baoxian is situated near the Encheng National Nature Reserve in Daxin county, which is known for its diverse wildlife.

Some netizens speculated that the macaques originated from the reserve. However, Nong Xiaoyue, deputy director of the Daxin county forestry bureau, clarified that the reserve's flagship species is the endangered white-headed langur, not macaques.

Investigations show that the troop of macaques has been residing in the mountains near the village for several years and rarely ventures down to disturb residents, according to Nong.

"The macaque population has indeed grown due to environmental improvements and enhanced wildlife protection efforts. While they may enter the village to forage for fruits or corn, the damage inflicted upon villagers is minimal," Nong said.

"We are encouraging residents to follow these principles — do not be afraid, do not touch, do not feed and do not harm. Avoid approaching or provoking the macaques, and refrain from intimidating or feeding them. If necessary, dogs can be used to deter them."

Nevertheless, local authorities announced a series of measures to address the situation and ensure the well-being of both the villagers and the macaques, including enhancing monitoring of the macaque population and their movements.

In addition, they will develop comprehensive response plans, including potential relocation strategies if the population exceeds the environment's carrying capacity, and will establish a compensation mechanism for villagers whose crops were damaged by the macaques.

The government is also exploring agricultural insurance programs to mitigate financial losses.

While Guangxi currently lacks specific compensation standards for monkey-related damage, authorities have assured villagers that they can report losses through the village committee. To date, no damage claims have been filed in Baoxian.

"The government is subsidizing 80 percent of agricultural insurance premiums for sugarcane farmers," Nong said. "If monkeys damage their crops, farmers can claim compensation as well."