Rhesus Macaque

Rhesus Macaque (猕猴), also known as Yellow Monkey, Gangaputra Monkey, Guangxi Monkey, is a species of monkey that is very physiologically close to humans and is easy to domesticate and breed. However, because many monkeys are now listed as protected animals, it has become a big problem to keep Rhesus Macaque as pets.

Rhesus Macaque is mainly distributed in southwestern, southern, central, eastern, northern, and northwestern parts of China. Rhesus Macaque is also commonly used for various medical experiments. In China's "List of National Key Protected Wildlife," Rhesus Macaque is listed as a second-class protected animal, and in the "Chinese Red List of Endangered Animals: Mammals," it is listed as a vulnerable species.

Chinese scientific name: 猕猴

Chinese alias: 黄猴、恒河猴、广西猴

English name: Rhesus Macaque

Binomial name: Macaca mulatta

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Family: Cercopithecidae

Subfamily: Cercopithecinae

Genus: Macaca

Distribution area: Widely distributed in China, India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia and other places.

Overhunting is the main factor endangering the Rhesus Macaque. In the 1950s, in many areas of China where the monkeys were abundant, the monkeys would come down from the mountains and damage crops, causing harm. To protect the crops, the people organized various ways to hunt and kill the monkeys, and the relevant departments organized large-scale purchases and exports, leading to the deadly destruction of macaque resources. Afterwards, although it was theoretically controlled that only offspring from artificial breeding can be exported, the annual export volume is still considerable. According to the annual import and export reports of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora from 1983 to 1992, it is shown that some developed countries imported approximately 8,000 Rhesus Macaques from China, with an average of over 1,000 per year.

The most common macaques are generally not used as family pets. Because monkeys have complex behavioral language, it is easy to provoke them and cause accidents of being injured if one does not understand the meaning of their actions. Therefore, only those who understand monkeys dare to keep them as pets. Even so, monkeys need to be tied up with chains to prevent them from suddenly becoming aggressive. There are also non-aggressive monkeys, mainly capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and marmosets from South America. However, these types of monkeys are rarely seen in domestic zoos and it is not possible to keep them as pets in the near future. The indigenous slow loris is relatively docile, but it is a nationally protected animal, so it is not allowed to be kept as a pet.

1. Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a severe acute inflammation of the gastric and intestinal mucosa and its deep tissues.

Symptoms: In the initial stage, infected monkeys show poor digestion and decreased appetite; diarrhea can range from watery to pasty, and severe cases can develop into bloody purulent stools, which are yellow-red in color and contain pus, blood streaks, and mucus. At this point, infected monkeys become listless and may die. They exhibit droopy heads, loss of appetite, decreased body temperature, and die from shock.

Treatment Method: See treatment of bacterial dysentery.

2. Bacterial Dysentery

Bacterial dysentery has a rapid onset and spreads unusually quickly. It is a disease that often occurs in macaques in monkey farms, especially in newly imported monkeys. During transportation, monkeys may experience extreme hunger and thirst. When they arrive at the farm, they tend to overeat and drink excessively, leading to indigestion and diarrhea. If left untreated, this can quickly develop into dysentery. The main symptoms include lethargy, decreased appetite, and complete refusal to eat. Severe dehydration can occur, with sunken eye sockets, emaciation, decreased body temperature, cold hands and feet, droopy heads, and curled-up bodies. If these symptoms persist for 1-2 days, death can occur.

Treatment Method: The treatment methods for gastroenteritis and dysentery are generally similar, but specific medication strategies should be determined based on the disease's progression. When an infected monkey is found, it should be immediately isolated. The monkey's living area should be thoroughly disinfected, and all monkeys in the group should receive medication. A broad-spectrum antibacterial drug like tetracycline is typically administered at an average dosage of 2 tablets (0.5g) per monkey, once a day, for 2-3 consecutive days. Comprehensive treatment should be provided, including oral administration of sulfaguanidine (SG) twice a day, at a dosage of 0.5g per time, with a starting dose of 1g. Injection therapy should include streptomycin and berberine or pierisin C injection solution. Adult monkeys receive 1 dose, while the dosage is adjusted for young monkeys. If there is no improvement after 2 continuous days, oral administration of fluorouracil at 1-2 times per day, 200mg each time, or dissolving fluorouracil in 20ml warm water and slowly injecting it into the stomach through a catheter inserted through the nostril. Additionally, injection of chloramphenicol and bai bing ling at 500,000 units per time for adult monkeys and adjusted dosage for young monkeys once a day for 3-4 consecutive days. Careful nursing is also necessary, including feeding more fruits or easily digestible food, and adding some glucose to the drinking water. With this treatment method, the cure rate is very high, reaching over 95%.

3. Pneumonia

Due to weather changes, adult monkeys or young monkeys with weak resistance are prone to catching colds, which can quickly progress to pneumonia and result in death if not promptly treated. Therefore, when an infected monkey is found, it should be immediately administered cold medicines, and severe cases may require injections. Commonly used medications include chai hu injection, bing du ling injection, and the dosage for injection is the same as for humans. For newly imported monkeys or when there is a sudden change in weather, it is recommended to use herbal remedies such as sesame, hulu tea, dahydranthera, vieuxteinia, pineapple leaves, fendlera leaves, and ash tree leaves boiled in water and freely given to monkeys to drink and eat. This can prevent colds, save medical expenses, and have good preventive effects.

Pneumonia is one of the most common acute infectious diseases in macaque farms. There are multiple types of pathogens, primarily caused by pneumococci infections through the respiratory tract. If an infected monkey is found and isolated for treatment, it is relatively easy to cure.

Symptoms: Similar to human pneumonia, the onset is rapid, mainly manifested as coughing, elevated body temperature, and in severe cases, prone positioning of the body with abdominal respiration, decreased appetite or complete refusal to eat, clear moist rales during auscultation, irregular heartbeat, and dull percussion sound.

Treatment Method: Oral administration of tetracycline or erythromycin, 2 tablets each time, twice a day for adult monkeys; penicillin injections (twice a day, 400,000 units each time) combined with streptomycin injections (twice a day, 500,000 units each time), with 10,000-20,000 unit reduction for young monkeys. For more severe cases of coughing, use cough suppressants (compound licorice preparations) together with some sugary water, given as oral administration or free to drink or eat. With the above treatment methods, the cure rate can reach more than 95%.

Rhesus Macaques like to live in groups. When they are kept as pets, we cannot meet this requirement. Therefore, in order to make up for the Macaques, owners need to not only provide them with a living environment that is similar to their natural habitat, but also focus on their diet. So what kind of diet is more beneficial for the healthy growth of Macaques?

Rhesus Macaques mainly eat leaves, vegetable leaves, and wild fruits, which are among their favorites. In addition to these, Macaques also eat some rice balls, steamed buns, powdered milk, and eggs. Macaques are omnivorous animals, and each Macaque may have its own different preferences in terms of taste and food. When breeding Macaques, it is advisable to provide more fruits, as fruits are their favorite food. In addition to fruits, some nutritious foods, such as eggs, are also essential.

After reading the above content, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of the dietary issues of Macaques. Finally, I would like to remind everyone that Macaques can also be picky eaters, so it is not recommended to spoil them. If a Macaque does not want to eat certain foods, it should be determined on a case-by-case basis whether they should be fed those foods.

The Rhesus Macaque generally does not eat meat and cannot absorb sodium from blood or muscles. Therefore, they absorb organic sodium from the crystallized salt formed by their own excrement: sweat. As we usually see, monkeys are always grooming each other and putting things in their mouths, which is to find salt to eat. This is a necessary social behavior. Like most social animals, there is a strict hierarchical system within the monkey group. The main way they express emotions and social desires is by helping other monkeys clean their fur. Lower-ranking monkeys please higher-ranking monkeys, and mother monkeys and baby monkeys or two monkeys with good relationships will also clean each other, just like humans chatting and communicating emotions together.