https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/03/macaques-at-japan-reserve-get-first-alpha-female-in-70-year-history

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Japan

Macaques at Japan reserve get first alpha female in 70-year history

Yakei took top spot after roughing up Sanchu, the alpha male who had
been leader of 'troop B' on the island of Kyushu for five years

Nine-year-old female known as Yakei, pictured, has become the boss of
a 677-strong troop of Japanese macaque monkeys at a nature reserve on
the island of Kyushu in Japan.
[ ]
Nine-year-old female known as Yakei, pictured, has become the boss of
a 677-strong troop of Japanese macaque monkeys at a nature reserve on
the island of Kyushu in Japan. Photograph: Takasakiyama Natural
Zoological Garden
Nine-year-old female known as Yakei, pictured, has become the boss of
a 677-strong troop of Japanese macaque monkeys at a nature reserve on
the island of Kyushu in Japan. Photograph: Takasakiyama Natural
Zoological Garden

Gavin Blair in Tokyo

Tue 3 Aug 2021 01.16 EDT[ ]

Last modified on Tue 3 Aug 2021 11.43 EDT

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In a rarely seen phenomenon in the simian world, a nine-year-old
female known as Yakei has become the boss of a 677-strong troop of
Japanese macaque monkeys at a nature reserve on the island of Kyushu
in Japan.

Yakei's path to the top began in April when she beat up her own
mother to become the alpha female of the troop at the Takasakiyama
natural zoological garden in Oita city. While that would have been
the pinnacle for most female monkeys, Yakei decided to throw her 10kg
weight around among the males.

In late June, she challenged and roughed up Sanchu, the 31-year-old
alpha male who had been leader of "troop B" at the reserve for five
years.

 
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Surprised wardens at Takasakiyama, where there has never been a
female monkey boss in the reserve's 70-year history, carried out a
"peanut test" on 30 June, putting out nuts for the group and seeing
who ate first. Sanchu backed away and gave Yakei first dibs on the
treat, confirming her alpha status.

"Since then, Yakei has been climbing trees and shaking them, which is
an expression of power and a very rare behaviour in females," Satoshi
Kimoto, a guide at Takasakiyama, told the Guardian.

"She has been walking around with her tail up, which is also very
unusual for a female," added Kimoto, who said that staff at the
reserve were at a loss as to the causes of Yakei's dominant antics.

Takasakiyama, established as a reserve for monkeys in 1952, is home
to about 1,500 macaques, split between troop A and troop B. The
monkeys live mainly in the forested mountain at the centre of the
reserve, roaming freely and coming down to lower ground for food
provided by wardens.

 
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The wild population of Japanese macaques is estimated to be more than
100,000 and widely spread across three of Japan's four main islands:
Kyushu, Honshu and Shikoku.

They are known to sometimes be aggressive, and hikers, mountain
climbers and visitors to the Takasakiyama reserve are advised not to
maintain eye contact with them as it is interpreted as a challenge.

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