An ethnoprimatological approach to assessing levels of tolerance between human and commensal non-human primates in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Human and non-human primates increasingly are forced to live commensally, and understanding the human-nonhuman interconnections are paramount in understanding tolerance and conflict. In our study area, the heavily deforested parts of southern Sri Lanka humans and primates live side by side and prevalent religious tenets encourage a peaceful co-existence. We quantify the attitudes of rural communities towards three resident primate species (red slender loris, purple-faced langur, toque macaque) and wildlife conservation through semi-structured interviews with 301 people. Presence of the three primates on people' s land or farms was not related to the distance to the nearest forest but for langurs the incidence of crop-raiding was negatively related to distance to the forest. Despite Buddhist' s beliefs about 10% of interviewees indicated having killed primates (in the past) but levels of killing was not related to awareness of protective status of the primates. Overall however positive attitudes towards primates prevailed, without noticeable influence of sex, education or employment type. There was overwhelming support for forest protection measures - not because of the primates but mainly for water preservation and for ensuring a steady timber supply. We found that despite high levels of deforestation, and an increase of encroachment of humans into primate habitats, attitudes has led only to a limited increased level of tension between humans and primates.