“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. Share my wildlife with me. Because humans want to save things that they love.”
Steve Irwin
Education is seemingly inexpensive and is a long-term solution to mitigate the human-macaque conflict. This is done by providing people with information on how to interact peacefully with macaques. While such education campaigns may not remove the conflict entirely, it may foster a greater tolerance towards macaques and people will also learn how to navigate safely around them (Jones-Engel, Engel, Gumert & Fuentes, 2011).
Advisories on what to do in the presence of a wild monkey and how to monkey-proof your home can be found on NPark and AVA’s website. Click here to download the advisory. The picture below also depicts an advisory by ACRES on what to do when you see a macaque.
Educational signboards are also placed at nature reserves to provide information on macaques.
Signboard at the Singapore Zoological Gardens
Signboard at MacRitchie Reservoir Park
Signboard at the boardwalk in MacRitchie Reservoir