The potential effects of human provisioning on populations and habitats of rhesus macaque in China

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) have demonstrated a strong ability to adapt to human-disturbed environment. In China, they are popular attractions in ecotourism areas and receive substantial food from humans, resulting in expanding populations in such places. Previous studies mainly focused on the human-macaque conflicts while paying little attention to their impact on local natural ecosystems. By reviewing previous research, we summarized the factors contributing to the thriving populations of rhesus macaque and discuss the potential impacts of them on other local organisms. Expanding rhesus macaque populations caused by provisioning could present potential risks to local plant and animal community through reduced seed dispersal and increased predation and competition pressure on other sympatric species, ultimately impacting the diversity and stability of local ecosystems. Therefore, we call for the introduction of relevant laws to strictly control human provisioning for wild rhesus macaques and further research to elucidate their interspecies relationships. We should pay more attention to these potentially overabundant populations and develop reasonable management strategies to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and rhesus macaques.