Kingship clashes determine male Leuser monkeys' fate

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): If you happen to be in Soraya in the Leuser jungle, don't think you are surrounded by vampires when you hear loud laughs sounding just like human laughter.

It's probably the sound of the exotic Thomas Leaf monkeys (presbytis thomasi), legally protected primates which exist only in Sumatran jungles.

Locally called kedih, the endangered monkeys have thicker fur and longer and larger tails than monkeys in general. They live in groups of between four and 12, with the strongest being appointed their king.

According to Marlan, 33, a senior research assistant who has studied kedih in Ketambe and Suaq Balimbing, there are six known groups consisting of about 50 monkeys in Soraya. Each have their own historical background which explains why they joined their group.

Marlan claims that if he happens to come across a kedih, he can recognize which group it belongs to. All identified kedih monkeys have been given names.

He pointed at a monkey he calls Felix aged 10 years old. He said Felix belongs to the group that researchers call "AMB-A Male Bound" which consists of nine monkeys.

Felix joined the group after he was beaten in a fight with his father for the kingship, Marlan said. The AMB-A Male Bound group is an all-male group and each monkey has the same history: they were defeated by their fathers in a showdown for kingship.

Other "kingdoms", as the monkey groups are usually called, are Antrasit, which has nine members with Titus being the king; Sian, six monkeys led by Icarus; Dabul, seven members led by Bos; Kuning, 11 monkeys led by Bengkok; Biru, 10 monkeys led by Eko; and Pion, five monkeys led by Fatah.

Some monkeys bear popular western names, such as Jessica, Leo, Garfield, Herbi, Fillipo, Maxim and Hanes.

According to Marlan, kedih have a unique social life. Normally, each group has only one adult male, the group like the AMB-A Male Bound being an exception. The male is the strongest and therefore the king.

A kedih father is known to be fiercely protective of its children under 10 years of age. He will fight to the end to defend his child whenever it is attacked by an outsider.

The showdown comes when the male offspring passes the age of 10. The father and son will then fight for kingship. Anyone losing will have to leave the group and join an "outsiders group" like the AMB-A Male Bound. The winner is king.

Each kingdom has its own territory that cannot be trespassed on. Usually, they respect other groups' sovereignty.

When they have to fight, Marlan says, the monkeys will show great sportsmanship: they will fight one on one. When many opposing kedih are involved in a dispute, they will take turns to fight one on one.

The offspring of a male monkey is a target when groups are at war. According to Marlan's analysis, the targeting of a young monkey is a way to psychologically defeat one's opponent.

"All disputes are settled according to the agreed upon 'law' and with great sportsmanship," he says. (Wiratmadinata)