Crab-eating Macaque - Conservation Status

Conservation Status

The crab-eating macaque has the third-largest range of any primate species, behind only humans and rhesus macaques. The IUCN Red List categorizes the species as Least Concern, and CITES lists them as Appendix II ("not necessarily threatened with extinction", in which trade must be controlled to avoid use incompatible with their survival). A recent review of their populations suggests a need for better monitoring of populations due to increased wild trade and rising levels of human-macaque conflict, which are reducing overall population levels despite the species being widely distributed.

Each subspecies faces differing levels of threats, and there is to little information on some subspecies to asses their conditions. The M. f. umbrosa subspecies is likely of important biological significance and has been recommended as a candidate for protection in the Nicobar Islands, where its small, native population has been seriously fragmented, and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The Philippine long-tailed macaque (M.f. philippensis) is listed as near threatened, and M.f. condorensis is vulnerable. All other subspecies are listed as data deficient and need further study; although recent work is showing M.f aurea and M.f. karimondjawae need increased protection. One concern for conservation is, in areas where M. fascicularis is not native, their populations need to be monitored and managed to reduce their impact on native flora and fauna.