Risk of agricultural and property damage associated with the recovery of Japanese monkey populations

The management of human–wildlife conflicts often involves walking the fine line between conservation of the species concerned and damage control. This article documents conflict management with Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) in northern Japan. Although these monkeys are listed as endangered populations in Japan, local residents consider them serious vertebrate pests. In order to devise a reasonable population recovery plan that also serves to minimize the risk of social damage caused by these monkeys, the authors invent a simplified procedure for broadly assessing damage risk. Two indices are analyzed: species accessibility, estimated via an accessibility analysis that uses ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA), and regional weakness to damage, calculated by evaluating the geographical placement of human settlements. ENFA shows that in northern Japan, most of the potential monkey habitats are not occupied by the species; therefore, the species distribution is expected to expand. The weakness values demonstrate that the municipalities expected to suffer damage in the near future are more vulnerable to damage than the already-damaged ones. A risk map is generated through a consideration of these results. It indicates that the conflicts will increase if no precautionary actions are taken. This risk mapping approach assists in identifying the municipalities where precautionary actions should be taken to efficiently minimize the overall risk in the reference area.