Macaques abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

What are macaques?

Macaques are medium-sized monkeys that can survive in many types of nature and even in cities due to their intelligence and opportunistic lifestyle.
There are 23 species of macaques and they can be found in various habitats in Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Some well-known macaques are the Japanese macaques that chill in hot water baths, the macaques that wander through the streets of cities in India and the Gibraltar macaque - the only European monkey.
Macaques mainly eat fruit, roots, shoots and seeds, although you can see them eating and drinking all kinds of things in the city.

Macaques have, after humans, the largest geographical distribution of all primates.
They can be found in the mountains of Japan, Nepal, China and Morocco, in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, India and Sri Lanka and in the droughts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Macaques are also present in America, but this population was introduced by humans.

That varies greatly per group and species. In some places, especially where they are fed and are used to people, they can become aggressive and bite. In the wild, they will rarely bother you.

Rhesus macaques are seen as the most aggressive species. They are very territorial and will therefore attack more quickly.

Keep your distance and respect the animal.
Do not look a macaque in the eye and do not show your teeth, this is seen as challenging.
Make sure that all your food and loose items are properly stored. Macaques are very handy and fast, so you can easily lose your phone or your tasty lunch. Never feed macaques, this can make them more aggressive towards people.

If a macaque looks at you with big eyes and raised eyebrows, that is a warning to stay away.
In that case, make sure you move back calmly, do not stare at the monkey and do not run away.
If the macaque continues to threaten and calmly walking back does not work, then the other option is to make yourself big, make a lot of noise and keep walking away (still without staring at the monkey).
If a monkey has taken your stuff, it is best to let it go and wait. If you try to get it back, there is a greater chance that you will be bitten, which has all kinds of other consequences.
Another option is to try to exchange the object for something else (for example, something to eat, or your interesting stress ball).

Unfortunately, it is still common for people to be bitten by macaques in tourist areas.
Did this happen to you? Make sure you wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible and seek medical help. There is a chance of getting rabies.

Getting rabies is one of the risks you run when you are bitten, but it is not the only risk.
Macaques can also transmit diseases such as the Herpes B virus, Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) and tuberculosis.

Volunteer work and internships with macaques can be found in several places, but it is often combined with care for other animals.
You can go to wildlife rescue centres, nature conservation projects or special shelters for primates.
Here you can help with research, care, cleaning and tours for guests.

Most sanctuaries avoid human contact to keep the animals wild. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will have direct contact with the animals, unless they are babies or you have been specifically trained to do so.
Even if you are going to work with macaques in the wild, keeping your distance and respecting their natural behaviour is very important.
Follow instructions and safety protocols.
Avoid unnecessary actions.

The best places are places where the monkeys are native such as Indonesia, Thailand, wildlife centres in South America and sanctuaries or research centres in Africa.

Access:

Public

Check related region !