There are few data on the use of habitat for food by the endangered macaque, M. brunnescens. Knowledge of food resources is key to begin to understand habitat and food resource needs of these macaques for their continued survival as an endemic species of Sulawesi. Large scale habitat destruction on Buton through logging and farming has reduced potentially viable areas for these medium sized mammals to succeed. Without data on key food resources and habitat features, it is difficult to recommend areas suitable for conserving macaques. For the forest, macaques are seed dispersers, which is important in forest regeneration.

The study is focused during the fruiting season when food should be abundant. Crop raiding occurs nonetheless. Crop raiding takes energy and involves risk, which must be balanced with the gain of food resources. The risks involve exposure on open fields to potential harm through predation and capture, and through a rival group of macaques. Macaques are active for about 13 hours a day, requiring energy, but nutritional needs, amount and type of foods are not known.

A preliminary overview of the use of habitats and locations, involving:

• Estimating relative numbers of macaque units in study sites
• Comparing use of habitat and foods ingested in crop and forest areas
• Sampling food items used by macaques for type, amount and nutritional content
• Investigating macaque strategy in crop raiding, to compare with foraging in forest
• Sampling faeces for content and relative digestive efficiency

Identification of sleeping sites provides data on the location of a macaque unit, the relative number, food items ingested, possible identification of the unit.

Following units opportunistically (until lost to observer) provides information on the daily budget for foraging, social and non-social events, the age-sex structure and relative number in the unit. These data are obtained using scan and focal animal sampling, location and spatial use of habitat and food items sampled.

Opportunistic sightings by other OpWall groups for location, date, time and relative height in habitat provides data on overall use of study areas. These are collated through personal contact and board set up in restaurant area.

Processing food items for wet and dry mass, location, date, time, source and identification. Approximately 250g wet mass becomes 100g dry mass needed for nutritional and faecal analyses. Food items are recorded as reported ingested, observed in plant, observed remains, observed in faeces, and/or observed ingested.

Estimating volume of bite through bite size on macaque discarded food items. Bite numbers are recorded during observations.

A conservative approach has been used and only data confirmed has been quoted, unless otherwise noted.

A table of foods taken from observations and faecal samples collected is included below. A few seeds have been identified in the faeces so far, for potential seed dispersal. These include kapok, coffee, cocoa and a species of fig.

Units found have been followed discretely for as long as possible, until the unit is lost to the observer. It is noted that, as with most macaque species, males tend to be at the rear of the group and females forward.

Potential predators have been suggested as humans (indirectly and directly), large reticulated python and the Sulawesi serpent eagle. The latter was seen swooping directly at a macaque unit, causing the unit to become disrupted.

Data should be entered daily and analyses kept up to date, which would allow a final report to be prepared by mid-December. Should the data not be kept up to date, the scientists would need to finalise the databases and analyses by mid November, to allow the final report to be ready by the end of January 2002. Potential papers would be identified prior to the final report. An interim report will be submitted by the end of December if a final report will not be ready in time.