Monkey Mayhem: Formosan Rock Macaques Will Rock Your World at Shoushan
This World Monkey Day, December 14, 2024, I went for a hike at Shoushan (壽山, Mandarin for “Longevity Mountain”), a coastal mountain in Kaohsiung, the largest city in southern Taiwan. This mountain park, protected as Shoushan National Nature Park, has achieved notoriety as the realm of Formosan Rock Macaques (Macaca cyclopis) numbering in the thousands on the forested slopes and limestone rock formations. Historically, in the 17th century the Dutch called this place “Ape Hill.” These fearless monkeys, Taiwan’s only endemic primate and a generalist, opportunist species, are popular among tourists, but they have become so accustomed to human presence that they snatch food right out of visitors’ hands. This has necessitated plenty of warning signs on avoiding human-wildlife conflict. Shoushan Zoo, home to many captive primates like chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons, and Southeast Asian macaques, is frequented by rock macaques to the point where exhibits are apparently designed to keep not just collection animals in but the monkeys out, and advisory signs abound in zoo grounds. Basically, avoid direct eye contact with the monkeys to avoid being perceived as a challenger and attacked, avoid feeding them, and avoid rustling plastic bags, as the simian bandits have become conditioned to associate that sound with snacks ripe for the taking.
When walking into Shoushan from the city’s nearest light rail station, I was a little apprehensive, finishing my breakfast so I would not have any food on my person in the wild habitat. The first macaque I encountered dashed out from a row of houses and crossed the road into the park, disappearing into the bush. Further uphill, I was treated to a raucous spectacle of a troop of at least twenty crossing a road, with mothers grooming infants on the railing, youngsters play wrestling on the sidewalk, and commuters on scooters dashing through without slowing down for the animals, who dodged them with expert timing.
As a guest in the macaques’ territory, I made sure to keep my distance and avoid eye contact with the troop members and bachelor males surrounding me in all directions. On parts of the trail, troops congregated in trees directly overhead, perched on concrete walls, and walked around Buddhist temples. The monkeys’ curiosity, boldness, and photogenic poses allowed me to take portraits capturing the beauty, cuteness, and majesty of various individuals.
Because I brought no food into the park, I left unscathed, but right as I left Shoushan Zoo, I encountered a small crowd gathered around one bold macaque. It had pilfered a bag of fast food from a hapless family, and holding a sealed cup of orange juice in its mouth, it dashed into the hills and vanished, with onlookers filming in amusement.
If you’re in Taiwan, I enthusiastically recommend spending a few hours at Shoushan National Nature Park where you’re guaranteed excellent views, but not guaranteed to avoid mayhem, with troops and troops of Formosan Rock Macaques of all shapes and ages. It was easily one of my best mammalwatching experiences thus far!
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