ABSTRACT
Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis is one of the most common primates in Indonesia. In Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the long-tailed macaque is habituated in Merapi Forest. The study aims to estimate the long-tailed macaque population and re-identification of groups. Moreover, we will observe the social structures that probably changed because of the interruption of interaction with visitors after the closure of the Tlogo Muncar area during the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimation population study was done using the concentration method. The long-tailed macaque group in Tlogo Muncar consists of three groups: Waterfalls, Mosque, and Joglo Trubus. The study was also identifying the alpha male of each group. The dataset obtained was processed using Microsoft Excel and analyzed descriptively. The results show that the estimated long-tailed macaque population in Tlogo Muncar area is 282 individuals. Alpha male identification of each group found alpha males in the Waterfall Group characterized by a lump on the left eyelid and a wound on the left hand. The alpha male of the Mosque Group is marked by a lump on his left eyelid with maxillary prognathism, while the alpha male of the Joglo Trubus Group has transverse scratches on the nose. The results showed an increase in the long-tailed macaque population in Tlogo Muncar area from 201 individuals in 2021 to 282 individuals in 2022. The increase of ecological pressure perhaps caused the rise in population number in 2022 during the closure of the area, to which the adult female responded by increasing their reproduction rate. The reopening of Tlogo Muncar after the Covid-19 pandemic has increased feed availability and attracted monkeys to forage outside the forest.
ABSTRACT
Long-tailed macaque/LTM (Macaca fascicularis) has good interaction and adaptation ability, as we found in the Tlogo Muncar area, Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, which is accustomed to visitors. Often food provision by visitors allegedly increases the aggressiveness of LTMs. Three groups of macaques identified at Tlogo Muncar are Waterfall, Joglo Trubus, and Mushola group. The study aimed to understand visitors' perceptions and the aggression level of LTM at Tlogo Muncar area, Merapi Mount National Park (Taman Nasional Gunung Merapi/TNGM) after two years of closure of the site caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Observations were conducted using the scan sampling method and continued by focal sampling. According to Wijayanto (2015), the aggressiveness of LTM is divided into four categories, aggressive level 1: dare to approach, potentially attack physically and steal goods or food from the front;aggressive level 2, steal goods or food from behind or side, aggressive level 3, steal goods or food when the visitor is off guard;and aggressive level 4, dare to approach when fed and only look for food waste in the dump. Observing visitors' perceptions was conducted by randomly distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents. The result showed that aggressive behaviour level 1 is generally carried out by adult male LTMs. However, aggressive behaviour observed is mainly aggressivity level 4. The questionnaire results indicate decreasing respondents' understanding of the disease transmission from long-tailed monkeys to humans compared to the 2021 questionnaire result. However, most visitors agreed that the interaction between humans and LTMs should be limited to a specific location within the area.