I filmed this on what I thought was the best day of my trip.
Now I wonder: was I watching something heartwarming...
...or something tragic in disguise? 🐒🍍

#StopFeedingTheWild #SustainableTravel #ScienceCommunication #DidYouKnow
@damonmatthews.bsky.social

In Thailand, Bali, India, and across Southeast Asia, wild macaques are fed daily by tourists and locals. But good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes. 10/10

Some studies suggest these risks:
• Contaminated or pesticide-laced food
• Nutrient imbalance
• Disease transmission
• Overpopulation
• Increased stress
What looks like kindness may actually fuel ecological harm. 9/10
— Sugiyama et al. (2014); Abrantes et al. (2018)

Provisioning may feel like connection, but it can fuel long-term biodiversity loss. 8/10

Feeding doesn’t just affect health — it reshapes relationships.
Once macaques associate humans with food, we see:
• Bites
• Crop raiding
• Urban invasions
This tension strains coexistence and can lead to relocation, retaliation — even culling. 7/10

When handouts become a major food source, the dependency affects health, reproduction, and survival.
In Chitrakoot, India, provisioned food made up 67% of macaques’ diets. 6/10
— Tomar & Sikarwar (2014)

As someone researching human-wildlife dynamics, I’ve seen how small actions — like tossing a pineapple — can spiral into long-term problems.
True coexistence means respecting wildlife boundaries, not blurring them for a better selfie. 5/10

This changes wild macaque behaviour:
• Increased aggression
• Less natural foraging
• Unnatural group sizes
• Loss of fear toward humans
It’s a setup for conflict — and injuries — on both sides. 4/10

Provisioning = feeding wild animals to encourage human interaction.
In many tourist hotspots, macaques are offered fruit, snacks, or even processed junk to make them easier to approach — and more entertaining for visitors. 3/10

Wildlife tourism is a growing industry, with conservation and economic benefits. But concerns have been raised about the long-term impact on animals — especially when food handouts are used to attract them. 2/10

— Abrantes, Brunnschweiler, & Barnett (2018)

This isn't unique to Awaji.

In Bali, India, Thailand, and elsewhere — wild macaques are fed every day by locals and tourists.

Could similar effects already be happening here? 8/10

Some studies suggest these possibilities:

"Inbreeding (due to isolated, human-dependent populations)"

"Contaminated or unnatural food (pesticide-laced fruits?)"

"Stress or poor maternal health"

Provisioning was a major suspected factor. 7/10

- Sugiyama et al. (2014); Abrantes et al. (2018)

In the group of free‐ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) at the Awajishima Monkey Center in Japan, ~17% have congenital limb malformations.

That's nearly 1 in 5 monkeys. 6/10

-Turner et al. (2022)

When food handouts become a main part of the diet, this dependency can affect animal health, fitness, and even reproduction.

At some sites, more notably in Chitrakoot, India, provisioned food makes up for over 67% of a macaque's diet composition. 5/10

-Tomar & Sikarwar (2014)

Provisioning changes wild macaque behaviour:

"They become more aggressive"

"They rely less on natural foraging"

"They gather in unnatural densities"

"They lose fear of humans"

This can lead to injuries — for animals AND people. 4/10

Provision = giving food to wildlife to encourage interactions.

In many tourist spots, macaques are routinely fed fruit, snacks, and processed foods to make them easier to see — and more entertaining. 3/10

Wildlife tourism is a growing industry, with conservation and economic benefits.

But concerns have been raised about the long-term impact on animals — especially when food handouts are used to attract them. 2/10

-Abrantes, Brunnschweiler, & Barnett, (2018)