Why do we love them so?

Phana is sometimes known as 'Monkey Town'. I am not sure that the people of Phana really like that, but I notice that there is a large, framed collage of photos labelled MONKEY TOWN just outside the Mayor's office at Tetsaban Phana. Certainly the monkeys that live in our local forest are a big draw for tourists. What is less certain is whether or not Phana gains anything from this tourism. We gain litter, yes, as my previous post pointed out,  but that may be all other than a certain notoriety. But I wonder whether Phana needs to gain anything, at least in the sense of profiting from the presence of the monkeys.

The monkeys do make us feel good, somehow. Phana lives quite comfortably with them (give or take a few complaints from farmers whose land adjoins the forest). It has generally been regarded as auspicious that the monkeys live in Don Chao Poo, home to the town's guardian spirit, and to four Buddha images. Somehow people feel privileged to be host to the monkeys. The people who come from outside to feed them evidently feel good about doing so, even if some of the girls scream when large monkeys make a grab for food they are holding. 

Why do we love them so? 

They make us feel at one with nature, I think. We are consorting with 'the wild things' when we go into the forest to feed them.

Feeding them makes us feel kind and generous.

Feeding these monkeys makes us forget that we have exterminated most of the wild things around here. 

 

 

 

At the same time, we see these long-tailed macaques as very human-like:

the babies are cute, the mothers take good care of them;

the young males respect the older males, the older males look wise and are very macho.

 

This may be the world as we would like it to be.

 

It is time for Phana to re-think its relationship with the monkeys here. The Governor of Amnat Charoen Province has suggested (with a little prodding, perhaps) that some sort of 'Centre' should be established in connection with them. Selling souvenirs may have been the extent of his thinking on the subject. But several people have put forward the idea of a Study Centre and contact has been made with an academic at a university in Isan who is interested in the study of primates and their place in the ecosystem. First, though, we must decide exactly what sort of relationship we want to have with the monkeys, and what sort of habitat we are willing to allow them.

COMMENTS and SUGGESTIONS would be very much appreciated.

Comments

[Mike]

Nice story Lawrence. the long Tailed macaque is not my favourite monkey, since they can be aggressive. Although this group looks peaceful enough.

I think doing anything is good as long as it doesn't involve exploiting their habitat and putting them behind bars.

Knowing the Thais and the love of the lottery perhaps you could promote a "lucky monkey" sort of monkey fortune teller ;-)

[Lawrence]

Thanks, Mike. In general, WE make them aggressive (see a later post). I agree entirely about not putting them behind bars.

There was a lady who believed the monkeys were giving her tips for the lottery, but as far as I know she never became rich. At one time she explained this as her inability to understand what the monkeys were telling her. I'm sure she was rght about that, at least. Maybe they were telling her not to waste her money on the lottery. I could have told her that, if she had brought me food every day or not.

[Malcolm]

Lawrence, we have monkeys here in Wang Pho , On the road that winds down the hill to our village , but they never come into our town, I love them and stop when traffic allows and feed and take pictures , Ciejay likes them ,at a distance as she had one bit her (not bad) when she was a little girl , so she keeps her space .I think a little pull off for the tourist and a place to feed and take pictures is enough , If you try to do to much , then it will be a problem with some folks thinking they have more privilages to the money it will bring in if you build a center and gift area, and then it will be all about money and people and not about the monkeys and their well being. Just my thoughts on the subject.

[Martyn]

Lawrence I think a little bit of monkey tourism is a good idea providing a large chimp (chunk) of the profits are ploughed back into the welfare of the animals themselves. Too many small towns and communities have little to offer in the way of tourism. Every little helps and these kind of things help local employment.

[Lawrence]

I agree, Martyn. At the moment, though, the only profit is for the two stalls that sell bags of foodstuff, and the forest (and maybe the monkeys) are suffering. What I hope we will get is a centre that will bring students of all ages to learn about monkeys of all kinds and especially to learn about their natural habitat, behaviour, food, and so on.