Management of Forest-Dwelling and Urban Species: Case Studies of the Lion-Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) and the Bonnet Macaque (M. radiata)

Into the Fire: Problem-Solving and Pyrocognitive Behavior of Temple Dwelling Bonnet Macaques, Macaca radiata, in India

Pyrocognition has been part of the hominin behavioral repertoire for at least one million years. Here, we report evidence of naturally occurring pyrocognitive behavior in wild bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) inhabiting a temple site in India. We recorded 2704 instances of macaques attempting to extinguish the fire in offering lamps that contained a food reward (sesame seeds, rice flour, or coconut). Overall, we found significant variation associated with age, with adults experiencing higher foraging success (males 81.1% and females 75.3%) than subadults (males 30.1% and females 18.8%). In addition, there was a positive correlation between the number of lamp manipulations and foraging success among adults, but not among subadults. It appears that despite extensive exposure to burning lamps, subadult bonnet macaques failed to fully understand how their actions in attempting to extinguish the fire resulted in obtaining the food reward. In contrast, over time several adult bonnet macaques appeared to understand how their actions in extinguishing the fire resulted in successfully obtaining a food reward (i.e., causal knowledge). Our results indicate that pyrocognitive behavior develops slowly in bonnet macaques, differs between adults and subadults, is not sex-based, and provides an instructive model for pyrocognition in early hominins.

Nest raiding by bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) and the response of nest guarding birds in a suburban habitat

In many primate species, nest raiding is a form of opportunistic foraging behavior designed to acquire protein-rich eggs and nestlings. In urban environments, this is a significant cause of nest failure in birds. Here, we describe nest raiding and egg predation in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) inhabiting a suburban area of Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. During nest raiding, large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) and house crows (Corvus splendens), actively defended their nest from the macaques. When several macaque foragers jointly raided the nest, they were successful in obtaining and consuming the eggs. In contrast, when a solitary macaque attempted to raid the nest, it was unsuccessful. Bird size appeared to play an important role in nest defense. Small birds, such as the scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) and the purple sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) were not able to protect their nests from lone bonnet macaques. These observations indicate that in urban landscapes, bonnet macaques are egg predators of many bird species. When macaques coordinate their actions and forage in small subgroups, they were more successful in preying on the eggs of larger-bodied bird species.

Distribution and habitat suitability of the endangered lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus and other primate species in the Kodagu region of the Western Ghats, India

Because of the universal decline in biodiversity, it is important to map and assess the populations of the endangered species, especially those endemic to small regions, in their remaining wild habitats. With the main focus on the distribution and habitat suitability of the endangered lion-tailed macaque, Macaca silenus, we carried out a survey on primates in the Kodagu region of the Western Ghats, an area not properly explored earlier. The survey trails covered a length of 523 km. We encountered 185 groups of primates including 112, 12, 43 and 18 groups of bonnet macaques, M. radiata, lion-tailed macaques, black-footed gray langurs, Semnopithecus hypoleucos and Nilgiri langurs, S. johnii, respectively. The Brahmagiri Hills harbored the northernmost group of Nilgiri langurs and the southernmost group of black-footed gray langurs. Habitat suitability analysis revealed that the distribution of bonnet macaques and black-footed gray langurs was associated with a large number of environmental factors whereas only a few factors each influenced the distribution of other primate species. When considering the whole landscape spanning over 1295 km2, black-footed gray langurs (961 km2), bonnet macaques (910 km2) and lion-tailed macaques (779 km2) had more suitable habitats than Nilgiri langurs (258 km2). The reserved forests between two Wildlife Sanctuaries covered an area of 311 km2 where 282 km2, 228 km2, 272 km2, and 140 km2 areas were found to be suitable for lion-tailed macaques, bonnet macaques, black-footed gray langurs and Nilgiri langurs, respectively. We recommend these reserved forests to be included in the protected area network. The study brings out the Kodagu region to be a potential conservation area not only for the lion-tailed macaques but also for other primate species.

Primates and pandemics: A biocultural approach to understanding disease transmission in human and nonhuman primates

Investigations into zoonotic disease outbreaks have been largely epidemiological and microbiological, with the primary focus being one of disease control and management. Increasingly though, the human-animal interface has proven to be an important driver for the acquisition and transmission of pathogens in humans, and this requires syncretic bio-socio-cultural enquiries into the origins of disease emergence, for more efficacious interventions. A biocultural lens is imperative for the examination of primate-related zoonoses, for the human-primate interface is broad and multitudinous, involving both physical and indirect interactions that occur due to shared spaces and ecologies. I use the case example of a viral zoonotic epidemic that is currently endemic to India, the Kysanaur Forest Disease, to show how biocultural anthropology provides a broad and integrative perspective into infectious disease ecology and presents new insights into the determinants of disease outbreaks. Drawing on insights from epidemiology, political ecology, primate behavioral ecology and ethnoprimatology, this paper demonstrates how human-primate interactions and shared ecologies impact infectious disease spread between human and nonhuman primate groups.

Extent of encounter with an embedded food influences how it is processed by an urbanizing macaque species

Rapid urbanization exerts novel adaptive pressures on animals at the interface of natural and altered environments. Urban animals often rely on synthetic foods that require skilled extraction and flexible processing. We studied how synthetic treatment of an embedded food, peanut, determined its extraction and processing across groups of bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) differing in encounter and familiarity with peanut. The possibility of the application of processing methods to similar foods was also tested. We found encounter- and form (native/shelled/skinned)-specific familiarity to peanuts, state (raw/boiled/roasted)-specific distinction in skinning, and encounter- and state-specific differences in methods of skinning. The group with the highest encounter with peanuts exhibited novel and manipulatively complex processing. Novel processing was also extended to peas and chickpeas. Our study establishes a strong relationship between familiarity with the condition of food and the processing methods used and further, demonstrates the probable role of categorization in extension of novel methods.

Kumara, Dilip Chetry, Santanu Mahato. A history of primatology in India (In memory of Professor Sheo Dan Singh)

India harbors a wide diversity of primates with 24 species that include lorises, macaques, langurs and gibbons.  Systematic research on the primates in India started about 60 years ago.  In order to develop a historical perspective, we recognize three broad phases of primate research: largely natural history and base line research, primarily behavioral ecology research, and increasingly question and hypothesis-driven research.  We describe the old and the recent primate research in the country and suggest research areas for the future.