The Impact of Web-Based Visitor Education on Human-Tibetan Macaque (<i>Macaca thibetana</i>) Interactions at Mt. Huangshan, China

<p>Daily visitor-macaque interactions lead to higher rates of macaque aggression (macaque-human, intragroup), macaque self-directed behaviors (SDBs), and zoonotic disease transfer. At the Valley of the Wild Monkeys in Mt. Huangshan, China, I made an educational website with site-specific information (e.g., guidelines for conduct, park rules, conservation) available and unavailable through QR codes for an equal number of randomized days. I recorded visitor-Tibetan macaque (<em>Macaca thibetana</em>) behaviors on all days using human and macaque ethograms. Past researchers at this site found positive correlations between decibel levels and macaque SDBs, as such decibel levels were recorded daily. I compared the frequencies of macaque and human behaviors and average decibel levels on website “on” or “off” days. On website “on” days, visitors exhibited more macaque-directed behaviors, but I found no difference in decibel levels and macaques’ rates of aggressive and SDBs. My results indicate that at this site, web-based technology was not correlated with reduced rates of stress-inducing visitor behaviors, perhaps because only one percent of visitors viewed the website.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Primate Behavior

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Stauch, KiriLi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lori K. Sheeran
• Jessica A. Mayhew
• Mary Radeke

• Human-Macaque Interactions
• Technological education
• Tibetan macaques
• Anthropology
• Other Anthropology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/893

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.cwu.edu:etd-1872