Effects of tourism on the behavior and health of red howler monkeys (<italic>Alouatta seniculus</italic>) in Suriname.

Abstract

Ecological changes and habitat degradation have measurable effects on nonhuman primate group size, but little is known about their effects on the behavior and health of primates. Specifically, ecological change caused by the implementation of tourism projects can impact nonhuman primates. In this project I assess the impact of tourism on the health and behavior of free-ranging red howler monkeys (<italic>Alouatta seniculus</italic>) in Suriname. I evaluated the health of subjects through observations of external indicators of poor health such as wounds, scars, and bot fly lesions, and through the analysis of non-invasively collected urine and feces. Urine samples were screened for indicators of poor health such as the presence of protein, glucose, or blood, and fecal samples were analyzed for the presence of intestinal parasite eggs and larvae. I also conducted behavioral observations to assay the effects of tourists on monkey behavioral patterns and responses to human activities. I monitored changes in weather and resource availability as other potential sources of stress. Results of this study suggest that monkeys living in areas of high tourist use altered their behaviors in response to tourism, while monkeys living in areas with little tourist presence responded more to specific disturbances imposed on them by the tourists. Health parameters were not as strongly affected by tourist presence, though in general, monkeys in areas of high tourist presence suffered slightly poorer health than other monkeys. These results contribute to our understanding of how nonhuman primates respond to human actions and ecological changes, and have important implications for conservation and tourism programs in tropical forests. Moreover, these results indicate that responsibly managed tourism programs may only minimally affect howler monkeys, and may provide the economic incentive needed for local managers to keep parks and reserves intact rather than degrade them through extractive harvesting or mining.