Twenty-three-year demographic history of the Affenberg Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), a translocated semi-free-ranging group in southern Austria

Lena S Pflüger,Michael A Huffman,Bernard Wallner,Markus Dorner,Katharina E Pink,Claudia Radler

doi:10.1007/s10329-021-00928-4

Lena S Pflüger, Michael A Huffman + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-021-00928-4

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Abstract

Demographic studies on translocated primate groups provide a unique opportunity to study population dynamics, social strategies, and reproductive parameters of a species adapting to new environments. In 1996, 38 Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) of the Minoo-H group (Osaka Prefecture, Japan) were translocated to Affenberg Landskron, a four-hectare naturally forested park in southern Austria. By January 2020, the population had increased to 160 individuals, and a total of 223 births were recorded. Births peaked in late April to late May, and the timing was influenced by neither offspring sex nor parity status of the mother. Infant mortality was low (8.97%), mostly involving primiparous females, and the average interbirth intervals were shorter following the death of an infant (1.10 years) than a surviving infant (1.77 years). Females rarely had offspring with the same males repeatedly, and the reproductive success among males declined with increasing years of presence in the group. The main aspects of reproduction, mortality, and mate choice are consistent with published data on natural and provisioned populations in Japan and those translocated to other countries. The life expectancy for females, however, was relatively high (11.72% chance of reaching the age of 20), whereas birth control prevented them from using their lifetime reproductive potential. By January 2020, the number of old individuals (> 18 years; 17.5%) was close to that of juveniles (< 4 years; 22.5%). The specific group composition, along with the inability of males to emigrate out of their natal group, may affect the social dynamics of the population, which merits further attention in future studies.

Highlights

Assessing the long-term demographic characteristics of translocated primate groups provides a unique opportunity to better understand many aspects of a species’ behavior and ecology as well as its ability to adapt to a new environment (Chalmers et al 2012; Fedigan et al 1983; Koyama et al 1992)
Our study provides insights into their habitat, population dynamics, reproduction, mortality, and social parameters
Twenty-three years ago, 38 Japanese macaques were translocated from Minoo, Japan, to Carinthia, Austria

Summary

Introduction

Assessing the long-term demographic characteristics of translocated primate groups provides a unique opportunity to better understand many aspects of a species’ behavior and ecology as well as its ability to adapt to a new environment (Chalmers et al 2012; Fedigan et al 1983; Koyama et al 1992). Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) are considered to be highly adaptable because they are the most northernliving non-human primate species, found across subtropical and temperate regions including areas of extreme cold and heavy snowfall. They have been the subject of long-term investigations across their natural distribution (e.g., Baldwin et al 1980; Huffman 1991a; Huffman et al 2012; Ikeda 1982; Maruhashi 1982) and in quite different habitats outside of Japan to which they have been translocated (Fedigan et al 1983; Gouzoules et al 1981; Huffman et al 2012; Pflüger et al 2014). In 1997 the site was officially opened as a touristic monkey park called Affenberg Landskron (Monkey Mountain Landskron)

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