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The Formosan
macaque is originated from Taiwan, the local species in Taiwan. Its body
is about 47-58 centimeters long and its tail is about 26-46 centimeters
long. It is strong with the light brown fur. The color of the chest is
gray and the fur of the feet is dense and black. The head is round, the
face is flat, the forehead is naked forward and the long cheek is like a
scarf. As its appearance is different from others, it is also called
black monkey, Taiwanese monkey or the long arm monkey. According to the
specialists, the ancestors of the Formosan macaque came from Mainland
China when Taiwan was joined with China in the glacial epoch. After several
ten thousand years these monkeys turned into Taiwanese special species. Its
names was named by its appearance. Macaca refers to monkey and cyclopis
refers to the round face. Hence, Macaca cyclopis means the monkey with
the round face. In addition, its forehead is naked forward and the body full of
dense black brown fur except the face so that it can live in the high
mountains. It has a mild temperature and behaves actively. It can climb,
jump and swim well.
Formosan macaque used to stay in the forests
and caves above 1000 meters around the whole Taiwan island, especially in
the forests of east coast, Wulai, Taipinsahan, Nantou, Changhui, Chaiyi,
Kaohsiung and Pintong. The Formosan macaque appears the most in Shou Shan
Zoo of Kaohsiung, so western people call it Apes Hill, Yuanhoushan in
Chinese pronunciation. During the period of Japanese occupation, it was used
for the medical research. Wild macaques hence was decreasing a lot after
that. Presently, since the hunters’ killing of these monkeys for sale, the
deforestation in the forest and the exploitation of the roads, Formosan
macaque has been seriously destroyed and become extinct.
Except Dakeng,
they also appear in Taroko National Park for the landform of gorges and
cliffs and the difficulty of people’s destruction. We should protect them
positively, stop killing
them and establish a protected area so that they can still live in this
beautiful “ Formosa.”
The Formosan
macaque is a social animal. Ten or fifty is a group but twenty in the
average. Its society is organized and has a clear division. There are
three levels—the kind, the female monkey and the little monkey
hierarchically. It’s easy to tell the king of the monkey—the monkey with
the straight tail and a little roll at the end. There are total three kings
of the monkeys, Number 1, 2 and 3, respectively. If King No.1 is dead,
then King No.2 will succeed to it to avoid “ a group without a leader.”
The female monkey after six starts to bear a baby. The little male monkey
will be expelled to the other place for being the king. If there is a
male monkey wants to fight with the king of the monkey, it would stand up
its tail to challenge it. After that, these two monkeys start competing.
The winner one will be the king and the loser should go away.
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