For the most part, conflicts between humans and macaques have gone up in most areas of the world, particularly where sprawl ends and habitats begin. The overlapping territories and rivalry for space and food, as well as differing perceptions of the behaviors of these animals and their effects on human lives, are driving such conflicts. Understanding the situation from the perspectives of both humans and macaques—in terms of problems—forms the core basis of a solution to this conflict.
The macaque is mesmerizing, irritating, and perilous to the residents living in their territories. Macaques spoil crops, housebreak in search of foodstuffs, and are very dangerous when cornered or threatened in any other way. This behavior results in destroyed property, a farmer losing his livelihood, and even risks an attack on his or her person, especially on elderly people and children.
Such mitigation efforts with fencing, scare tactics that include loud noise or any other visual methods, and workforce employment with trained personnel in the management of macaque populations do not always turn out to be so effective and sustainable over time, more so in the face of continuous urbanization.
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To macaques, human settlements could mean a rich source of food and habitat modification for better survival. If the natural habitats are depleted by humans through deforestation and building towns, then macaques are obliged to learn to survive in the new environments—the human-dominated landscapes. This exposes them to increased encounters, hence conflicts, with humans over the same limited resources.
Macaques belong to the order of intelligent and social mammals, leading complex sociality, grooming, vocalizing, and manifesting hierarchical relationships within groups. When these groups come into conflict with humans, an instigating cause can often be traced back to some instinctive action on their part, such as foraging for food or defending territory.
In that case, a multifaceted approach to solving the human-macaque conflict needs to consider ecological and socio-economic factors. Conservationists can then advocate such strategies, along with experts in wildlife, as balancing between man and macaques steers one toward coexistence.
