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Macaques may not be great masters of diplomacy
Photo: Nature Picture Library / imago images
If you want to become boss, you shouldn't be squeamish.
And a beating can work wonders.
This is at least true in the realm of the macaques, a primate genus that lives mainly in Asia.
In a nature reserve on the Japanese island of Kyūshū, the rise of a female macaque to the top of her group has been observed over the past few months, as the British newspaper "The Guardian" reported: the nine-year-old female monkey Yakei boxed herself in a group of 677 monkeys through to the post of alpha female.
In the 70-year history of the Takasakiyama Reservation in Oita City, this has never happened before.
First the mother, then the boss
According to the report, Yakei's path to the top began in April with a tangible argument with a close family member: In order to achieve the rank of first female, she gave her mother one to take with her.
For most female monkeys that would have been the end of the career ladder - but not for Yakei.
She wanted to stir up the boys.
In June, the nine-year-old monkey therefore challenged the troop's alpha male, 31-year-old Sanchu.
Sanchu had been the chief of the monkey gang for five years.
It came to a decisive battle - and Yakei won.
She became the boss of the macaques.
Legitimate leader is whoever gets the peanut
Because the employees of the reserve could hardly grasp this development, they carried out the so-called »peanut test«.
To do this, they laid out peanuts for the group: whoever eats first is the boss.
The defeated Sanchu let Yakei go first.
Her alpha female status was confirmed.
And Yakei is probably not afraid to act like a boss: She climbs trees and shakes them, "which is an expression of power and very rare behavior in females," Satoshi Kimoto, a leader in Takasakiyama, told the Guardian «.
In addition, Yakei walk around with his tail raised - that is also atypical for a lady.
Takasakiyama Monkey Park has existed since 1952 and is home to around 1,500 macaques that live in two groups.
Yakei is now the boss of Group B. The monkeys mainly live on a wooded mountain in the center of the park, where they can move around freely.
Supervisors and employees provide the animals with food.
There are more than 100,000 macaques living in the wild in Japan.
They are spread over three of the four main islands: Kyūshū, Honshū and Shikoku.
If you don't want to fight monkeys, you should avoid eye contact
Incidentally, macaques do not only limit their willingness to strike to their conspecifics: The monkeys are known for attacking hikers and mountaineers when they get the chance.
Visitors to the Takasakiyama Reserve are advised not to keep eye contact with the monkeys.
That could be interpreted as a challenge - and end with a hefty slap in the face.
vki
