Macaque-Human Interaction and the Societal Perceptions of Macaques in Kalisalak Forest, Central Java-Indonesia

Abstract

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to meet people's and nature's needs. Macaque-Human Interaction (MHI) is connected between SDGs 15: Biodiversity and SDGs 3: Good health and well-being, that biodiversity and conservation are crucial to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people. Kalisalak Forest is one of the habitats of a long-tailed macaque on Java Island that is also commonly used as a grand forest park for multiple visitation purposes. This species is now listed as endangered by IUCN Red List. The MHI is found on this site but has never been studied. This research conducted a quantitative approach that emphasizes the respondent experience of visitors by the Lemeshow formula with the survey technique and ad-libitum sampling method. Our results show that the interaction initiated by macaques tends to be affiliative, feeding from human food provisioned. Visitor dominants are local people, which are already accustomed to the presence of the macaques, so it may cause the interaction to be neutral. Besides, humans initiate macaques and tend to be neutral, walking. Macaques in this site were habituated to human presence, familiar, and attracted to provisioned food. In addition, this condition can probably influence zoonotic disease. In that respect, minimizing the disturbance of natural systems would significantly help prevent the emergence and spread of new pathogens causing such zoonotic diseases. Our recommendations need more emphasis on forest management to avoid the potential zoonotic disease based on that MHI.