Monkey business in Ujungkulon

JAKARTA (JP): Forest officials are unhappy with the increasingly intimate friendships between monkeys, deer and visitors at Ujungkulon National Park, about 180 kilometers west of here.

They blame changes in the wild beasts' behavior on visitors to Peucang Island who ignore the ban on feeding protected animals.

Hordes of monkeys, estimated at 1,500 on the small island, race from the trees to "greet" visitors, who usually share their peanuts or fruit with them.

"The monkeys used to stay away from people, but they now snatch visitors' belongings or food," park chief Agus Sriyanto told Antara Saturday.

"The monkeys are overly spoiled and they often make trouble if visitors won't give them food," he said.

Tourist generosity has also made the 300 deer in the forest reserve equally lazy, Agus said.

Instead of grazing with the wild bulls as they did in the past, the deer spend their days lying around the Peucang resthouse, hoping visitors will feed them.

"Many have been caught sneaking into villas and stealing food," Sriyanto said. (pan)