LAUNCESTON'S MACACQUE TROOP







Abstract

Although species can arise through hybridization, compelling evidence for hybrid speciation has been reported only rarely in animals. Here, we present phylogenomic analyses on genomes from 12 macaque species and show that the fascicularis group originated from an ancient hybridization between the sinica and silenus groups ~3.45 to 3.56 million years ago. The X chromosomes and low-recombination regions exhibited equal contributions from each parental lineage, suggesting that they were less affected by subsequent backcrossing and hence could have played an important role in maintaining hybrid integrity. We identified many reproduction-associated genes that could have contributed to the development of the mixed sexual phenotypes characteristic of the fascicularis group. The phylogeny within the silenus group was also resolved, and functional experimentation confirmed that all extant Western silenus species are susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Our study provides novel insights into macaque evolution and reveals a hybrid speciation event that has occurred only very rarely in primates


Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) 


Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are native to much of Southeast Asia and have been noted as one of the most geographically wide-spread and abundant non-human primate species in the world. They have been deliberately introduced to a variety of small tropical islands, commonly for biomedical research.

Long-tailed macaques are a pest in many introduced areas and the species is included on the Global Invasive Species Database list of 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders. In Mauritius, the introduced population has contributed to the extinction of one parrot and one owl species, and contributed to the decline of many endangered bird species including pigeons, parrots, birds of paradise and frogmouths. Small reptiles and large mammals have also been affected. Modelling indicates that the Tasmanian climate is unsuitable for this species, however should a population establish, competition with local possum species could be expected.

The species has a significant impact on agriculture and consumes a wide variety of crops. Macaques are frequently killed as agricultural pests and some farmers have stopped planting crops due to damage caused. Long-tailed macaques are also noted for being a nuisance to humans. They may grab or take human possessions, threaten people by lunging, biting, following or chasing, and raid houses, bins and cars. Mobbing behaviour is observed occasionally.

Wild populations of long-tailed macaques are vulnerable to a variety of diseases including herpes B virus, canine distemper virus and hepatitis E. Some of these diseases can be fatal to humans.

The species is currently listed as a species of 'Vulnerable' under the IUCN Red List and is classed as a 'serious' threat under the Vertebrate Pest Committee's list of exotic animals (Vertebrate Pest Committee, 2007). In Tasmania, long-tailed macaques are 'controlled animals' under the Tasmanian Nature Conservation Act 2002.

Following the initial risk assessment, the Department considers permitting the importation of animals assessed as ‘serious risk’ into the State as long as appropriate mitigation measures, enforced through a wildlife exhibition licence, can be identified and applied.

Mitigation options to reduce the risk associated with importing Long-tailed macaques include:

Limiting importation to registered wildlife parks or zoos to ensure the holding facility meets the stringent keeping standards​ Tasmania applies to all institutions.

Requiring any wildlife park or zoo to submit a Long-tailed macaques​ species management plan (including enclosure details) prior to import.

The wildlife exhibition facility can clearly demonstrate they have proficient keepers for that particular species

Delivering a sustainable Tasmania logo

Last published on: 9/04/2024 3:28 





Wildlife group weighs in on Launceston council's monkey sterilisation plans
By Joe Colbrook December 12 2024 - 5:45am

A wildlife advocacy group that is helping rehabilitate 31 captive macaques in Indonesia has weighed in on the Launceston council's plans for its own troop.

City of Launceston councillors will vote on a news species management plan for the Japanese macaques in City Park, which entails sterilising the males, on Thursday, December 12.

A Japanese macaque in Launceston's City Park. Picture by Phillip Biggs
The Australian branch of World Animal Protection (WAP) has issued a statement calling on the councillors to focus on the macaques' welfare.

"Given that it's ultimately the monkeys who will pay the price of the vote's outcome, we are calling for the council's final decision to be in the best interests of the macaques' welfare," WAP campaign head Suzanne Milthorpe said.

"Wild animals are not commodities, and the continuous captive breeding of these monkeys could have devastating welfare outcomes."

Primate keeper Bridie Slattery previously said the macaques' prolific breeding was putting pressure on their living quarters which were overcrowded and leading to more frequent fights and aggression among the animals.

A tiny blue-eyed Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey has begun to explore his surroundings at a sanctuary in Victoria, footage released on December 4 shows. The six-month-old, born to parents Mani and Bagam, is part of an international breeding program for the endangered species. Credit: Healesville Sanctuary / Zoos Victoria via Storyful
At last count the Launceston troop contained 25 members, including two pregnant female macaques.

Live macaques are unable to be imported to Australia under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, leading to a lack of diversity in the genepool - which could cause increased health issues over the coming years.

Ms Slattery said societal attitudes towards keeping animals in captivity had also changed since the macaques were gifted to the council by its sister city, Ikeda, Japan, in the 1980s.

This sentiment was repeated by Ms Milthorpe, who said "at some point, tough decisions need to be made" when it came to the future of intelligent, wild animals kept in captivity.

A pair of macaques in City Park. Picture by Paul Scambler
The alternative to sterilisation, which would allow natural attrition over the next 20 years, would be a cull - something Ms Slattery said was difficult to implement as macaques had a rigid social hierarchy.

Any changes to this could cause even more welfare concerns as the monkeys re-established their pecking order.

"We urge the council to base its decision on the welfare interests of the existing monkeys, and to ensure this is the last generation of macaques to suffer in captivity in Tasmania," Ms Milthorpe said.

END

Voice of Real Australia: Why are there monkeys in the middle of Launceston's City Park? By Bec PridhamMay 25 2022 - 12:30pm.
In the heart of Launceston's City Park, in northern Tasmania, there's a wacky colony you'll inevitably stumble upon during a leisurely stroll - a monkey colony.That's right. 20 or so Japanese macaques roaming around their enclosure doing what monkey's do - scratching themselves, climbing branches, being refreshingly human-like in their general mannerisms.

But this somewhat obscure colony is quintessentially Launceston.

Ask a local about City Park's monkeys, and they'll barely bat an eyelid.

Incident at City Park monkey enclosure Published on 10 August 2022 At some stage overnight on Tuesday evening, an unidentified intruder has broken into the City Park monkey enclosure, causing damage to the electric fencing and stealing coins out of the surrounding moat. ... Unfortunately, this action has potentially exposed the intruder to the Herpes b virus, which is carried by the City Park monkeys. The virus can be asymptomatically shed by the monkeys through bodily fluids and 'fomites' — that is, any material that has come into contact with the virus, which includes the water in the enclosure. ... The virus is not considered a risk to the monkeys, and exhibits symptoms similar to that of cold sores in humans. ...However, it is potentially fatal to humans, with more than 30 known deaths recorded worldwide, with only one confirmed case of human-to-human transmission. Symptoms of viral infection include blistering, pain, numbness near the infection point, flu-like symptoms (fever, muscle aches, headache, and fatigue), respiratory distress, encephalitis and neurological dysfunction. .... Tasmania Police and the Tasmanian Department of Health have been advised of the break-in. ...The majority of macaques around the world carry the virus and there is signage at the enclosure stating that the monkeys are infected. ...We ask that anyone with information regarding the break-in to contact Tasmania Police immediately. ... But importantly, the Council urges the intruder to seek medical attention as a matter of some urgency

How Launceston got its macaques — and why they could be gone from Monkey Island By Bec Pridham Sat 7 Dec. Has Video Duration: 1 minute 58 seconds.


News that Tasmanians could lose their favourite monkey neighbours warrants a trip down memory lane, with some help from the ABC archives, and of course, from Launceston locals.
Virus plagues monkey residents
By the year 2000 the macaques were on death row.

Nearly half the colony was carrying the Herpes B virus, and the council faced the gruelling decision of whether to put them all down.

But pressure mounted to keep them, including from animal welfare groups determined not to follow in the footsteps of Sydney's Taronga Zoo, which killed its monkeys two years earlier.

Launceston's City Park macaque monkeys could be gone in 20 years as council wants to sterilise them due to inbreeding By Bec Pridham ... Topic:Zoos ...Friday 6 December
A macaque monkey sits on a wooden bridge in an enclosure.
The macaques will slowly die out over the next few decades if the council adopts the sterilisation plan. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)

In short:
The macaque monkeys featured in Launceston's City Park will die out and not be replaced if the council adopts its proposed plan to sterilise the troop.

The mayor says there is no longer a way to introduce new genetic diversity to the troop due to federal importation laws, and the monkeys are becoming inbred.

What's next?
The council says it understands there will be great community interest when it discusses whether to adopt the motion to restrict breeding next we ..................... 

Nutcracker in the park: Why Launceston's male macaques face sterilisation Joe Colbrook By Joe Colbrook December 6 2024 - 12:30pm


A lack of genetic diversity within Launceston's resident Japanese macaques means local councillors will have to decide whether or not to sterilise them.

This does not mean the monkeys will disappear overnight, but puts a time limit on their presence in Launceston's City Park, where the animals have been an attraction for more than 40 years.


City of Launceston council primate keeper Bridie Slattery at the
Japanese macaque enclosure at City Park, in Launceston. Picture by Phillip Biggs
Primate keeper Bridie Slattery said it was a difficult decision to make, but had to be done for the animals' welfare.

The macaque's prolific breeding has put pressure on their living conditions - their sleeping quarters are now at capacity.

"We are starting to see some welfare issues in regards to aggression and comfort, for space, for sleeping and being able to get away from one another," Ms Slattery said.

There were also changing social mores and wider conservation goals which had to be considered.

"When we originally got this species back in the 80s, they were on a decline out in the wild, so they were here for genetic insurance," Ms Slattery said.

"They're now quite well off out in the wild as now classified as Least Concern. We need to look at why we have animals in captivity."

Ms Slattery said it was important to come to a decision and implement it before the monkeys entered their winter breeding season.

Tasmania Zoo welcomed a pair of male De Brazza's monkeys all the way from the USA this week. The two are the only De Brazza's monkeys in all of Australia, and will head to Queensland after a short stay in Tasmania.

Primates in the park

Launceston's macaques were originally a gift from its sister city Ikeda, and the troop has lived at City Park since 1981.

The council-run exhibit is the last such facility in Australia to keep the monkeys as a troop, which currently contains 25 members, with two expectant mothers.

They carry the herpes B virus common in macaque monkeys, and when this was discovered in 2000 the council of the day considered euthanising them.

Instead they elected to import new macaques - something now prevented by federal law - but this attempt failed as macaques have rigid social hierarchies.

Conditions attached to the council's wildlife permit require breeding to be done in line with a species management plan, with such a document set to be tabled at an upcoming council meeting.

A macaque grooms another in the City Park enclosure. Picture by Paul Scambler

Giving them the snip

The new species management plan recommends some of the male monkeys be castrated - their testicles completely removed - and others be given vasectomies to prevent breeding but ensure they continue to display behaviours typical of male monkeys.

If left unchecked the monkeys would ultimately become inbred and prone to illnesses and stillbirths.

The other alternative was a cull - something Ms Slattery said would cause the whole group to "crumble".

"Even if we have one that is on the very bottom of the hierarchy, if that one goes and someone else is on the bottom of the hierarchy, then their life is going to be affected," she said.

Instead, she said the monkeys' numbers should be allowed to dwindle naturally, which would also impact their welfare.

The last few monkeys' fate would be decided at a later date, as would the future inhabitants of the enclosure in the park.

Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood said the future management of the monkeys had to be done in a "caring and humane" way.

"We know community sentiment toward keeping animals in captivity has shifted a lot since 1981 and it's now time we consider this issue with fresh eyes, with the welfare of the troop as our top priority," Cr Garwood said.


.................

Meet Allison, the hairless monkey at Launceston City Park

By Duncan Bailey Updated October 20 2024 - 10:21am, first published 5:00am
Allison is 11 months old, lives in a Launceston park, and has been losing her hair.

Locals would be familiar with the 20-odd primates who live in the heart of the CBD but for the uninitiated, the monkeys were gifted to the City of Launceston by our sister city, Ikeda, Japan in 1980, in exchange for 10 wallabies.

Allison, an 11-month-old monkey at City Park, developed alopecia after roughhousing with an older monkey. Picture by Craig George
But if you've been to visit the monkeys in recent weeks you may have noticed one looks a little different.

A recent addition, Allison, lost her hair after a bit of roughhousing and developed a form of alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.

City of Launceston primate keeper Bridie Slattery said Allison's condition wasn't too different to what humans experience.

Pictures by Craig George
"Allison is our 11-month-old monkey; she wasn't born hairless but it was something that developed when she was about six months of age," Ms Slattery said.

"Our two-year-old was starting to play a bit rough with her and similar to our bodies, responds to stress in different ways.

"She was still initiating in play but he would play tag and pull a bit of her hair out, so her body's response was to tell her this wasn't normal and she actually lost all of her hair after that."

Luckily for Allison, the condition isn't permanent and her hair has started to grow back.

Allison is expected to have most of her hair grown back before the peak of summer. Picture by Craig George

"She's got a very hairy chest and very hairy shoulder blades, and almost looks like she's wearing a pair of pants at the moment," Ms Slattery said.

"[Alopecia] can be quite rare, but we share 93 per cent of our DNA with this species, so most things that happen to us can happen to them as well."

While Allison looks different, Ms Slattery said she's still treated the same as the others.

Primate keeper Bridie Slattery. Picture by Craig George
"She hasn't been treated any differently whatsoever - being a young female, she automatically inherits mum's ranking," Ms Slattery said.

"She'll be under the protection of mum but they don't really see it like that.

"And apart from us judging the way she looks, she's 100 per cent healthy."

Ms Slattery said she expected Allison to be hairy again in a week or two.

"It's started growing back and it'll keep on growing; hopefully she'll have a full body of hair before the peak of summer," she said.
.........
Voice of Real Australia: Why are there monkeys in the middle of Launceston's City Park?

By Bec Pridham May 25 2022 - 12:30pm

MONKEY BUSINESS: The Japanese macaques are a pride and joy of the Launceston community. Picture: Paul Scambler
I
n the heart of Launceston's City Park, in northern Tasmania, there's a wacky colony you'll inevitably stumble upon during a leisurely stroll - a monkey colony.

That's right. 20 or so Japanese macaques roaming around their enclosure doing what monkey's do - scratching themselves, climbing branches, being refreshingly human-like in their general mannerisms.

But this somewhat obscure colony is quintessentially

Ask a local about City Park's monkeys, and they'll barely bat an eyelid.

You'll get a response along the lines of "Of course there are monkeys in the park. Why wouldn't there be monkeys in the park?"

Obviously, these monkeys are not native.

They were actually a gift from Launceston's sister city, Ikeda, Japan, in exchange for 10 wallabies.

That was back in 1980, and they have been a pillar of City Park ever since.

Funnily enough, these macaques were actually introduced to fill the gap left in the hearts of Launcestonians after the last Rhesus monkey, which formerly took residence in the park, died in 1979.

Despite being restored into the regional hub, it hasn't been an easy plight for these monkeys, and there have been times where their future looked dicey.

In 2000, when 11 of the 26 monkeys were ridden with Herpes B, the City of Launceston Council toyed with the idea of putting them down.

But they ultimately decided against it, with the idea sparking community outrage.

While the disease can be fatal for humans, symptoms for the macaques are mild, and the council decided the risk to humans was so low that it was unjustifiable to strip Launcestonians of their beloved monkeys.

Now, herpes remains part of the monkey's everyday existence, a fact that appears to be accepted by the wider community.

And the macaques continue to procreate regularly, with locals swooning whenever new faces come into the colony.

If a bout of herpes isn't enough to end the monkey's reign in City Park, it seems they are here to stay - to the joy of Launcestonians, and the bemusement of all who come past the weird and wonderful enclosure.



'The perfect job': What life is like for the City Park monkey keeper By Joe Colbrook Updated October 9 2024 - 9:10pm, first published November 5 2023 - 5:00am

Monkey business is par for the course for Bridie Slattery, who spends her days caring for the troop of Japanese macaques that call City Park home.

Ms Slattery is the City of Launceston council's first official primate keeper, hired after a 2022 review recommended a qualified staff member be employed to provide better care for the animals.

"I thought I officially gave up being a zookeeper to stay in Tassie until this position came up," she said.

"It's the perfect job."

The macaques have been a significant part of life in Launceston since they were gifted to the city by Ikeda, Japan in 1980.

Primates have also been a significant part of Ms Slattery's life, who said she had spent about half her life looking after them.

"My passion has always been primates, from a very young age," Ms Slattery said.

"My poor mum had to spend every school holiday watching documentaries.

"I didn't have much of a life during school holidays apart from volunteering at the local zoo since I was 15, it's just something that I've always wanted to do."

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This prompted her to pursue qualifications - in this case a Certificate III in Captive Animals - and she now has several years' worth of experience caring for a variety of primates and understanding their behaviours.

Since joining the council, Ms Slattery has made a few tweaks to how the animals are tended to.

These include slight changes to the macaques' diets, with more foliage and plant-based food on offer, providing a better match to their diet in the wild.

She has also opened the monkeys' living quarters during the day, giving the younger macaques a chance to play while giving older members of the troop a reprieve.

"I do find that the younger ones spend a lot of time inside because there's a lot of climbing structures," Ms Slattery said.

"They don't have to get told to be quiet, they can just run amok in there, and that keeps the peace out here."

One of the macaques makes use of play equipment in the enclosure. Picture by Craig George
One of the macaques makes use of play equipment in the enclosure. Picture by Craig George

Another development led by Ms Slattery is providing enrichment activities for the troop.

Wild macaques usually spend the bulk of their day foraging for food, which is why Ms Slattery has scattered gumboots, broom heads and other objects throughout the enclosure.

These are perfect for hiding morsels of food for the monkeys to find during the day.

"I try to keep them as busy as possible," Ms Slattery said.

"They like to manipulate things with their hands, the gumboots are great.

"Those and the other toys help keep them physically and mentally stimulated."

Her other daily duties include everything one would expect of an animal keeper: keeping a headcount of the macaques, watching for any changes in their behaviour which could signal poor health, cleaning the enclosure and ensuring it is safe, and leaving food out for them.

She said good quality care helps keep the Herpes B virus, carried by the Launceston troop and endemic in most macaque communities worldwide, under control.

Although she was never in the enclosure while the monkeys roamed - macaques are classed as "moderately aggressive" - Ms Slattery said other infection control procedures were in place.

"Keeping them as happy and healthy as possible will prevent the virus from shedding," she said.

"That reduces our risk of infection, but PPE is also our best friend."

Since she started in the role, Ms Slattery said she had taken the time to build a rapport with the monkeys to the point she can recognise and name each of the 22 macaques.

She said most of the macaques did not have names when she started, and she picked the names based on how each one seemed to "fit" the macaques.

"They do or have different distinguishing features that have different hair styles, different personalities, different colouration and obviously, different sizes," she said.

"Being able to understand the appearance of each of them, but also their personality means that when they're running around - I might not be able to get a good look at them - the way that they move and who they're with, I can tell who they are "

As she spends most of her time around the animals, Ms Slattery said she had become attached to them - considering them part of the family.

"I look after all of the animals I care for as I would look after my animals at home," she said.

"I provide them with just as much care and love.




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