The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will conduct an assessment of the native monkey population in Corregidor Island, a tourist spot in Manila Bay, to determine whether if there is a need to relocate the primate species there to other areas.
This as the Corregidor Foundation Inc. (CFI) bared plans to reopen Corregidor Island to tourists next month, amid the presence of what it described as an “aggressive” monkey population the foundation is seeking to relocate out of the island “permanently.”
Cynthia L. Carrion, CFI chairman and CEO, wrote a letter to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on September 25, 2020, expressing concern over the “threat” of the monkey population to prospective tourists on the island.
It was learned that the CFI Board of Trustees approved a resolution for the capture of the native monkeys and take them away from the historic island to prevent any possible animal attack on tourists.
At least a hundred long-tailed macaques are believed to inhabit Corregidor Island at present but there could be more lurking deep in the forest, according to an official of the DENR.
CFI manages the tourism activities on the historic island. Strategically located at the entrance of Manila Bay, Corregidor Island is considered a national shrine that commemorate the battle fought by Filipino and American forces against Japanese imperial forces during World War II. It is now a popular tourism area in Luzon. While the island is close to Bataan, it is part of the political jurisdiction of Cavite province.
In her letter addressed to BAI Director Ronnie D. Domingo, Carrion appealed that the monkeys be relocated to a suitable place “where they can be of good use and purpose.”
On September 29, 2020, the BAI referred the letter to the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the DENR, which has mandate and jurisdiction over wild animals.
The growing population of the native monkeys on the island has been a problem to them even before the Covid-19 pandemic started, Carrion said.
While acknowledging that the native monkeys on the island are also an added attraction as tourists are amazed by their presence, Carrion said the monkeys lately have become “too aggressive to the point of lurking inside hotel rooms, stealing food and on several occasions, run[ning] after tourists.”
“We are afraid that if we let this matter slip longer, the monkeys will be up to something more damaging like harming tourists, which will cause the image of Corregidor Island more harm than good,” she said.
It was learned that the CFI has tentatively scheduled the reopening of the island to tourists on November 7, 2020.
However, they want the native monkeys taken to another place first to make sure that no untoward incident will happen to tourists during their visit.
DENR Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon, concurrent director of the DENR-BMB, told the BusinessMirror that they will coordinate with the Animal Health and Welfare Division of the DA-BAI to address the concerns raised by CFI. “We will coordinate and work with BAI to look into the problem,” he said.
“We are hoping that the monkey population in the area remains manageable. If the population is more than a hundred, it will be a problem,” Calderon, a forestry expert said.
Normally, Calderon said, monkeys would not go out to the open as they prefer to stay in the forest.
He said native monkeys in the Philippines, notably the long-tailed macaque, has been known to become aggressive and territorial.
Aside from natural breeding, or reproduction, migration to the island may have contributed to the growth of the primate population on the island, Calderon said.
“In my experience, I’ve seen monkeys crossing the ocean. I saw this first hand in Palawan when I was regional director. They can go from island to island,” said Calderon.
Calderon said if possible, the DENR-BMB will conduct an assessment of the situation and the monkey population on the island.
“We need to conduct an assessment first. But the problem is, how can we go there? We need to coordinate with BAI to seek what can be done,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The official also expressed his appreciation to the CFI for raising the concern on the monkey population on the island, saying the threat posed by aggressive animals, particularly troops of aggressive monkeys should not be taken lightly.
“Remember they are also possible carriers of a virus and they can trigger a zoonotic disease and cause another pandemic,” he said.
Calderon said he will send a team to conduct the assessment and come up with a possible course of action, depending on the situation.
To prevent possible human-macaque conflict, Calderon said they may need to capture the monkeys and relocate them to other suitable areas and, more importantly, where they will be accepted. “Social preparation is one thing we need to do also in relocating animals to a new habitat,” he said.
The official said that in addressing human-macaque conflict, the DENR-BMB will ensure that the most humane way of treating animals as mandated by the Wildlife Act and other DENR rules and regulation will be observed.
2 comments
This is an appalling suggestion. The Long-Tailed Macaques belong there. Their behaviour has been modified by human interaction. The same has occured in other parts of Asia.
It is repeatedly stated that they will be relocated ‘somewhere else’. This place has not been divulged but, I assure you, you move so many macaques to a new area and their social cohesion will be unbalanced. Primarily because they are, like many animals, territorial.
I suggest looking at how other countries have provided solutions.
The population of cynomolgus macaques from Corregidor were captured in Mindanao for breeding and commercial sale and later released on Corregidor when the venture collapsed (Jerome Nazarino, DVM, Philippine Breeders Association, personal communication).
When the venture collapsed, they opened the cages and let the macaques free.