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Abstract :
[en] Today, anthropogenic pressures are posing major challenges to Asian primates, forced either to adapt ecologically and behaviourally to the human massive encroachment into natural habitats, or to disappear. Species ability to survive in human-modified habitats greatly varies, with generalist species, such as Cercopithecines, being more likely to thrive. Several macaque species in particular proliferate in situations of commensal association with humans, which leads sometimes to local overpopulation. High density of primates, resulting from the combined effect of population spatial compression and positive demographics, systematically induces conflicts with humans over crop-raiding and nuisance issues. Different management strategies have been deployed these last decades, going from culling or trapping programmes to sterilization campaigns. Sterilization is an ethical and flourishing solution to mitigate the human-macaque conflict by limiting the population expansion, but very few empirical data are available about their efficiency and potential side effects. We propose here to review various macaque sterilization programmes conducted in Asia, highlighting the pros and cons as well as the short- and long-term effects. As a study case, we will present data on population dynamics and side behavioural effects, as the base for an ongoing sterilization programme in a population of long-tailed macaques (M. fascicularis) in Bali (Indonesia). This population has experienced a tenfold increase over the last 30 years. Vasectomy undergone by several males in a former approach was not efficient to limit births. With others, we argue that macaque’s reproductive profile requires female sterilization. The goal here is to stimulate discussion over management of forced coexistence scenarios between human and primates, since this phenomenon is an integrative part of conservation in this rapidly changing world.
