EAPSI: The Impact of Web Based Tourist Education on Human-Tibetan Macaque Interactions

Stauch Kirili N, Ellensburg WA

Investigators

Abstract

Tourist presence and noise levels impacts macaques stress levels and can lead to potentially dangerous primate-human interactions if not handled properly. This study will help determine if educating tourists with a site specific website will change tourist behaviors towards Tibetan macaques, reduce tourist-macaque aggressive encounters, and reduce macaque stress-indicating behavior. This research will be conducted at Valley of the Wild Monkeys in Anhui, China, a tourist destination, in collaboration with Tibetan macaque experts, Dr. Jin-Hua Li and Dr. Dongpo Xia, from Anhui University. An educational website with site specific information will be made available through QR codes for 30 days. Researchers will record visitor-macaque interactions, and tourist noise levels daily using sampling methods to record behaviors. The results will indicate whether smartphone technology (website) can be used to reduce rates of stress inducing visitor behaviors, assisting Huangshan Garden Bureau (HGB) staff in their attempts to refine management of the monkeys. Daily visitor-macaque interactions have negative impacts on macaques and visitors such as higher rates of macaque aggressive and self-directed behaviors, zoonotic disease transfer, and increased levels of stress. Tourists interact daily with Tibetan macaques at Valley of the Wild Monkeys in Anhui, China. An educational website with site specific information (i.e. guidelines for conduct, park rules, conservation) will be made available through QR codes for 30 randomized days. Visitor-macaque interactions will be recorded using human and macaque ethograms. Research shows a correlation between decibel levels and macaque stress levels, so decibel levels will be recorded daily. Researchers will compare frequency of macaque and human behaviors, average decibel levels, and website "on" and "off" days. Researchers predict on "website on" days, visitors will exhibit fewer antagonistic behaviors and lower decibel levels, and monkeys will show lower rates of aggression and self-directed behaviors than on "website off" days. The results will indicate whether smartphone technology can help reduce rates of stress-inducing visitor behaviors, assisting Huangshan Garden Bureau (HGB) staff in their attempts to refine management of the monkeys. This award, under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program, supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.