Injured Long-tailed Macaque Saved

A few days ago we got reports of a severely injured adult male long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) that had something caught around his right arm. The team headed out to help the monkey who was located at a temple around an hour from WFFT. The WFFT Rescue Team managed to capture him, he was then transported back to the WFFT Wildlife Hospital for emergency surgery.

The long-tailed macaque is listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species, in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, occurrence in a number of protected areas. Habitat loss and degradation due to human encroachment, pose the biggest threat to all macaque species. They are regularly persecuted as pests. Increasing competition between macaques and humans due the increase in need of land for agriculture and other human activities is the foremost reason that macaques are persecuted as pests. Hostile encounters with macaques are common in urban areas due to the active promotion of their presence for spiritual and entertainment purposes by provisioning food for the macaques. We (humans) both promote population growth through the provision of food and the protection habitat, and on the other hand we hinder it through the continued fragmentation of habitat, capture and exportation for research, and the pet-trade.

The damage to his wrist was severe so the WFFT Vet Team made the decision to amputate it. He has been with us for a few days now and is recovering well. Once his wound has been given chance to heal he will he will be returned back to the wild.