When we arrived on Rinca island, a single crab-eating macaque was nervously scampering about, keeping its distance from a male Komodo dragon that was basking in the early morning sun. This was my first Old World monkey, and I was charmed to see its expressive long face and agile small primate locomotion. In contrast to many monkeys I encountered in Costa Rica, especially the capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus), macaques on the islands did not approach humans closely and seemed wary of their surroundings at all times. T behavior might have to do with the fact that they live in high abundances alongside the komodo dragon, but it is always great to see when a wild animal does not associate humans with food.
Photographed in situ or after some pursuit [1-3]
Over the course of a few days we got to see a number of behaviors from the macaques, including foraging, mating, and a mother carrying a baby. Pictured above is a stoic male from a troop that made its way near us in the savanna.
Footage of long-tailed macaques and a komodo dragon: