New research shows that an increase in primate ecotourism has negatively impacted monkey behavior.
The study, led by the University of Portsmouth, found that tourism to the primates, where tourists can easily reach them by motorboat, has grown rapidly, leading to stress-related behaviours in monkeys.
The study looked at the impact of a single-engine motorboat approaching the community of proboscis monkeys, an endangered species that lives in remote riparian areas (vegetated strips bordering rivers, streams and lakes) in Sabah, Malaysia. Proboscis monkeys have long, unusual-looking noses, which increase their appeal to tourists.
experiment
Many boats carrying multiple tourists approach the primates quickly and loudly, often reaching the riverbank just metres from the wildlife.
The researchers found that frequent visits by these groups, which often involved unusually high levels of noise, caused the primates to exhibit stress-related behaviors such as self-scratching, heightened alertness, increased levels of aggression and reduced feeding.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Marina Davila-Rossa reader in Comparative Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Our evidence suggests that even a slow-moving motorboat, when humans behave calmly, can negatively affect primate behaviour and Trigger stress – the effect may be greater on tourist boats.
“The riparian area is an important habitat that is increasingly popular for primate ecotourism, as it allows visitors to easily reach the primates by motorboat.”
The researchers conducted the experiments by approaching the monkeys at different speeds and distances traveled – fast approach (approaching the monkey at 14.4 km/h for 10 seconds at 40 meters), slow approach (approaching the monkey at 3.6 km/h from 40 meters away). speed approaching 40 seconds) and slow far conditions (20 seconds approaching monkey at 3.6 km/h from 100 meters away).
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For each condition, they compared stress-related behavior before the vessel approached and after the vessel began to approach.
The results showed that the monkeys exhibited stress-related behaviors for longer in the fast-closing and slow-closing conditions, and that feeding was reduced due to the proximity of the boats in the fast-closing condition. They also found that male proboscis monkeys displayed more vigilant behavior than females.
