Unique: Female seizes power in Japanese monkey colony | Abroad

Yakei’s rise to the top began in April this year, when she beat up her own mother to become the dominant female in the colony at the Takasakiyama Zoological Garden in Oita. That would be the highest achievable position for almost all female monkeys, but Yakei decided to use her 10 kilos of body weight to put the males on hold as well.

Pass pass

In late June, she challenged 31-year-old alpha male Sanchu, the leader of the B-group in the park, and also beat him up. Sanchu had been the boss of one of the two macaque groups in the park for five years. The zookeepers at the park saw it happening and decided to hold a ‘peanut test’, the group was offered a supply of nuts to see what would happen. Sanchu left the first choice to Yakei, making his abdication a fact.

Since then, Yakei has been completely the man in the group. “She climbs trees and shakes the branches, which is a clear display of power and very rare in females,” says park guide Satoshi Kimoto in the Guardian. “She walks around with her tail in the air, which is also very unusual.” According to Kimoto, the staff has no explanation for Yakei’s behavior.

Established in 1952, Takasayikama Park is home to around 1,500 macaques, which are divided into two groups, Groups A and B. Yakei has now taken control of Group B. The monkeys mainly live on the wooded mountain in the middle of the park and occasionally descend to get food, which is provided by the keepers. In the wild there are about 100,000 macaques in Japan.

—