Kingship clashes determine male Leuser monkeys' fate
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)