A survey of the Endangered Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus in the Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco A BDERRAZAK E L A LAMI ,E LS VAN L AVIEREN ,R ACHIDA A BOUFATIMA and A BDERRAHMAN C HAIT Abstract The Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus is the only macaque in Africa. The species is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is listed in CITES Appendix II. This macaque has a relict distribution in Morocco and Algeria. Recent studies have indicated a dramatic decline of Barbary macaque populations in the Middle Atlas and Rif Mountains in Morocco but there is limited available infor- mation on its distribution in the Central High Atlas. We therefore conducted interviews with local officials and inhabitants, and carried out field surveys in 12 sites from February 2004 to December 2008. We found Barbary macaques in relatively small and fragmented habitats in 10 of the 12 sites. A total of 35 groups were sighted and 644 individuals counted. Mean group size was 21 (range 6–42). In all surveyed sites habitat destruction and pressure from livestock were apparent. The interviews indicated that the macaques are often found in the proximity of agricultural land, and that there is evidence of illegal capture in the Bas Oued El Abid and Haut Oued El Abid areas. To protect this species we recommend establishment of protected areas specifically for the Barbary macaque, increased surveillance by forest guards, enforcement of the law against capture of the species, and education of the local people. Keywords Barbary macaque, geographical distribution, High Atlas, Macaca sylvanus, Morocco Introduction T he Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (Butynski et al., 2008) and is listed in CITES Appendix II (CITES Trade Database Report, 2011). It is the only macaque species that occurs beyond Asia (Fooden, 1982), and its current distribution is limited to relict habitats in Morocco and Algeria (Taub, 1977; Fa et al., 1984; Camperio Ciani, 1986; Scheffrahn et al., 1993). A semi-wild population occurs in Gibraltar (Joleaud, 1931; Modolo et al., 2005; Perez & Bensusan, 2005). In the early 1980s the global population of Barbary macaques was estimated to be 14,000–23,000 (Fa et al., 1984). In the 1990s the population was 10,000–16,000 (Lilly & Mehlman, 1993; Von Segesser et al., 1999). The total Moroccan population is now estimated to be 5,000–6,000 (Waters et al., 2007; van Lavieren & Wich, 2009), a large decline since 2003, when the Moroccan population was estimated to be c. 10,000 (Camperio Ciani & Palentini, 2003). No recent data has been published on the status of the Algerian population. Between 65 and 75% of the surviving population occurs in the cedar Cedrus atlantica forests of the Middle Atlas (Taub, 1977; Camperio Ciani, 1986). In this area the density of macaques was estimated to be 44–70 km -2 in the late 1970s (Deag, 1977; Taub, 1977; Fa et al., 1984) but recent studies indicate a dramatic decline (Camperio Ciani et al., 2005; Van Lavieren & Wich, 2009). In the Rif the population in the Djebela region decreased from 200 to 89 between 1980 and 2004 (Waters et al., 2007). The main factors responsible for the decline of this species in Morocco are habitat destruction, the impact of livestock grazing, and illegal capture (Van Lavieren, 2004, 2008; Camperio Ciani et al., 2005; Waters et al., 2007; Van Lavieren & Wich, 2009). Limited information is available on the Barbary macaque distribution in the High Atlas. A few scattered groups occur in disturbed habitats in the Occidental High Atlas, and small fragmented populations were previously known to occur in the Central and Oriental High Atlas (Fa et al., 1984; Cuzin, 1996, 2003). The objective of this study was to determine the current status of the Barbary macaque populations in the Central High Atlas of Morocco, to describe any human–macaque conflicts and to make recommendations for the protection of the Barbary macaque in this area. Study area The study was conducted in the Central High Atlas of Morocco (Fig. 1). The terrain, mainly calcareous, consists of steep mountain slopes and rocky gorges dissected by swiftly running streams. Altitudes are 600–2,600 m. The region’s climate varies from semi-arid to sub-humid (Emberger, ABDERRAZAK EL ALAMI (Corresponding author) and ABDERRAHMAN CHAIT Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behaviour, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, University of Caddy Ayyad Rue de Prince Moulay Abdellah, B.P. 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco. E-mail departementbiologiefssm@hotmail.com ELS VAN LAVIEREN Moroccan Primate Conservation Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands RACHIDA ABOUFATIMA Laboratory of Bioengineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, Beni Mellal, Morocco Received 2 June 2011. Revision requested 21 July 2011. Accepted 19 August 2011. © 2013 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 47(3), 451–456 doi:10.1017/S0030605311001463 https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605311001463 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 34.228.24.229, on 14 Jun 2020 at 23:35:35, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at