Dietary preference and feeding patterns of the urban Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in India

Abstract

We studied the feeding patterns and discrete spatio-temporal food habitsof16 groups of the urban Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta following their relocation in Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary near Delhi, India. We observed that the macaques fed on 31 plant species, with Prosopis juliflora and P. cineraria appearing in most scans. We classified the food consumed by the species into six main categories the species and recorded the average time spent on each of these throughout the year. The maximum time was spent on supplementary feeding provided by the forest department and the minimum on natural plant resources. There was a significant difference in the consumption of different food categories from morning to evening but there were no significant seasonal variations. This study showed that Rhesus Macaque adopted different foraging strategies based on the availability of resources in their new environment and that variety in food resources buffered seasonality in their diet. Information on their feeding patterns and food habits will help in developing management protocols for the primates in urban environments.