 The
Maroon Leaf Monkey - Issue Twenty-Five |
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Get
To Know
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Home Invasion Encore by Donal Mahoney
Nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction appear in various publications in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found at Eye on Life Magazine |
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The
Maroon Leaf Monkey is found on the southeast Asian island of
Borneo and the nearby smaller Karimata. They mostly live in forests
at altitudes below 2,000 m. They feed on leaves, seeds and fruits
and are equipped with a large, chambered stomach like a cow, which
allows them to digest their fibrous food. They avoid sweet, ripe
fruit because the sugars disrupt the delicate balance of their complex
stomachs. They live in bands of 2 to 13 individuals, led by a dominant
male, and spend nearly all their time in the trees. They have broad,
dark-colored faces with wide, expressive eyes and average between
6.2 to 6.3 kilograms. They are highly territorial and will challenge
any intruders within their home range. Males emit a loud call to
demarcate their territory and warn rivals. This species is under
some pressure from hunting and habitat loss, but they are still
quite common throughout their range. They are protected by law throughout
Malaysian Borneo.