There are
more species of macaques and tarsiers on Sulawesi than anywhere else in the
world. Seven macaque species and three tarsiers found only in Sulawesi inhabit
the various sprawling arms and legs of the island. In North Sulawesi, there are one species of tarsier and three species of macaques. The
Crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) is found
from the tip of the peninsula in the east to Kotamobagu in the west. The
Dumoga-Bone macaque (Macaca nigrescens), occurs in
the central region primarily within the Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park. The
Heck’s macaque (Macaca hecki), is distributed
from the west of the park into Central Sulawesi.
Crested black
macaques are among the largest of the Sulawesi macaques, a typical adult female
weight around 7 kilograms, while an adult male may reach 11 kilograms. Crested
black macaques, as their name implies, sport a long tuft of hair on the top of
their head.
Crested
black macaques live in large groups of 30 – 100 animals. The groups are
centered around female matriarchies, with females generally outnumbering males
four to one. Groups spend nearly most of their time foraging for fruits, which
comprise nearly 70% of their diets. Groups may move from as much as 4 km to as
little as 1.5 km in a single day. Each group has a core area in which it spends
most of its time, and groups have preferred sleeping sites. Crested black
macaques have highly organized and complex social behavior. Adult males form
dominance hierarchies, in which the largest, most dominant males get
preferential access to food and mates. Adult females do most of the grooming, which
allows the monkey to remove parasites from their fir and also helps the females
strengthen social bonds with other group members.
The Tangkoko
Nature Reserve is one of the last strongholds for the dwindling population of
black macaques in North Sulawesi. There are about 3000 monkeys remaining in the
reserve. Macaques are hunted for food and pets throughout the year but they are
particularly vulnerable in December when they are sought for traditional
Minahasan Christmas dinners. Like many of the large mammals in Tangkoko,
Crested black macaques are endangered and if current trends continue they may
face extinction within the next 25 years.
Do you want to see these wonderful and unique mammals? Please do not hesitate to contact us. We can arrange and help you to set the ideal itinerary considering your main requirements as well as the mammals, birds or other wildlife in North Sulawesi.
