Nuts are high in cholesterol and protein, which could lead to weight gain and other health problems in the long-tailed macaques. Instructions had been given to staff and ticket sellers to inform the visitors of the new policy. There will be no sanction imposed upon visitors who do not follow this policy.
100 grams of groundnuts contained up to 42.7 grams of fat, which, if consumed in a large quantity and on a daily basis, would easily trigger a weight problem in the monkey population. Being overweight would eventually make the primates more susceptible to disease. Groundnuts are also protein dense, with 100 grams containing up to 27.9 grams of protein. This exceeds that of both eggs, at around eight grams, and even beef, at 14 grams of fat per 100 grams of meat.
High protein foods will also increase the monkeys’ libido and aggressiveness, the very two things that you don’t want to happen in a tourist site visited by a large number of visitors on a daily basis. Besides prohibiting visitors from feeding the monkeys with nuts, the management has also decided to introduce a healthier diet for the monkey population, including sweet potatoes and seasonal fruits.
Sweet potatoes will be the main menu and given three times a day, while corn, rambutan [a lychee-type fruit], coconut, papaya and vegetables will be provided as snacks. Once every two days the monkeys will be able to feast on bananas. We are trying to provide a healthy and balanced diet.
The Monkey Forest is the largest community-managed forest on the island and a model of the successful integration of tourism and conservation. It is owned and managed by Padangtegal customary village.The Monkey Forest is also the home to rare and endangered flora. With assistance from Udayana University, the management has identified a number of rare plants in the forest. There are around 115 species of plants, while some of the trees are considered sacred, only being used for spiritual and religious purposes. Among the trees are majegau, which are used exclusively for building shrines, and pule bandak, which embody the spirit of the forest and are used to create sacred masks.