Javanese Tiger Extinction Causes Long-Tailed Monkeys Entry to Human Settlements: Ministry

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry said that the population of long-tailed monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) has exploded due to an imbalance in the ecosystem. As a result, many monkeys have invaded residential areas, as has happened recently in a number of areas.

"Conflicts between humans and long-tailed monkeys in the Java region are caused by the lack of predators in the forest," Satyawan Pudyatmoko, director general of natural resources and ecosystem conservation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said in late February.

Satyawan said one of the long-tailed monkeys' predators, the Javanese tiger, has become extinct. Another predator whose population is beginning to decline is the Javan leopard. Satyawan predicts that long-tailed monkey attacks on agricultural land and residential areas will become routine at the beginning or middle of the dry season.

According to Satyawan, the issue of ecosystem balance is not widely understood. This is seen from how local governments are demanding to have incidents of long-tailed monkey attacks resolved immediately and completely.

"This issue is being treated as a kind of disease that is easy to heal. Like the flu, just take a pill and it goes away. The fact is, the root of the problem is very complex. It includes restoring a healthy ecosystem."

The return of apex predators such as the Javanese leopard to their natural habitat, for example, requires a long and comprehensive study. There needs to be socialization and acceptance by the surrounding community of the return of top predators to their habitat.

"Fear-based resistance to the reintroduction of large carnivores has occurred not only in developing countries, but also in developed countries," says Satyawan.

Previously, a herd of long-tailed monkeys entered residential areas and climbed onto the roofs of houses, causing panic among residents of Bandung City. News of the monkeys descending the mountain went viral on social media sites such as TikTok.

Chairman of the Zoological Museum, School of Life Sciences and Technology at Bandung Institute of Technology (STH ITB), Ganjar Cahyadi, said the appearance of these monkeys could be a sign of several things. Starting from habitat catastrophes, foraging for food, to competition between herds.

IRSYAN HASYIM (CONTRIBUTOR)

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