09/08/2023
π ARTICLE ON LOVELY MONKEY π΄
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The Beautiful Long Tailed Macaques of Cambodia.
These lovely monkeys have lived in and around the temples of Angkor longer than the 900 year old temples themselves have stood.
The monkeys live a fairly simple life. They eat what they forage, play on the ground or in the trees and raise families. Female babies stay with their mothers for her entire life, making a troop consisting mostly of sisters, cousins and aunts. The male monkeys, reaching maturity around 5 years old, leave the troop or are chased out.
The troop is a Matriarchy, the Queen passes down her throne to her daughter when she dies. There are a few instances when this does not happen, such as a Queen dying without a daughter old enough to take over, but these instances are rare.
There is a King or Alpha male of the troop. This male must fight for his position and be accepted by the females and especially the Queen.
His role is to protect the troop and to father the next generation. The King is not the only adult male in the troop, he has allies or soldiers if you will. This group of males is very effective at warding off predators and other troops infringing on their territory.
Female macaques reach breeding age between two and a half to three years of age. The gestational period lasts about five and a half months. She will typically give birth every year until she is no longer able to successfully deliver a healthy baby or until she dies. Long tail macaques can live up to 35 years in the wild.
There is a hierarchy in the troop. The highest ranked are, of course, the Queen and Alpha male. The Queen's children and her siblings are high ranking as well.
The closer their familial tie is to the Queen, the higher their ranking is in the troop.
A monkey's rank in the troop is significant for daily life. A young monkey learns quickly that there are rules that must be followed.
Watching who eats when can give you a very clear understanding of the hierarchy within the troop.
The highest ranked monkeys eat first starting with the Queen and King , followed by their children. It follows down in rank from there with each mother eating before her children.
A monkey attempting to eat out of turn is subject to reprimand.
This hierarchy is followed throughout other activities as well. The Queen is groomed the most, gets the best foraging location, sits on the most advantageous branch to sleep and mates only with the King.
The King, or Alpha male guards his Queen, not allowing other males to mate with her. If the Queen gives birth to a baby that was not produced by her King, he may kill the baby.
The King may guard other females as well. Moving in on the Alpha's Queen isaaking for a fight and is often the first sign of a hostile takeover.
A male is only King as long as he can fight to protect his status. If the Alpha can no longer win the fight, he will be replaced by a stronger and often younger male. This not only ensures the safety of the troop but also ensures that the high ranked females of the troop produce children with the healthiest and strongest male possible.
The King fathers most of the babies born in the troop.
The troop is a strong family unit. They eat, play, and sleep together. They fight to defend each other, their children, and their territory. Fighting within the troop is mostly a warning and rarely results in injury. If a male kills a baby, he may be attacked by all of the females in the troop and if he isn't the Alpha, may be chased out of the troop entirely.
While you are looking at these beautiful creatures, keep in mind the thin line that separates us from them. I see many common behaviors, some of them quite surprising. Pay attention, they communicate much the same way we do, love their children, and have varied personalities.
Written by Lorry kaller
8/7/2023
