Using Conditioned Taste Aversion to Reduce Human-nonhuman Primate Conflict: A Comparison of Four Potentially Illness-inducing Drugs

摘要: Abstract Human-wildlife conflict in the form of crop- and livestock depredation is escalating worldwide many species nonhuman primates are considered serious crop pests throughout areas within their ranges that humans inhabit. Animals become habituated to non-lethal mitigation strategies, which then ineffective at reducing crop-foraging intensities by primates, so people have turned culling reduce losses. An example this problem primate northern India, where rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) been declared vermin. Conditioned Taste Aversion (CTA) develops when animals associate taste odor food with post-consumption illness results subsequent refusal consume associated illness. The length time avoided indicates aversion’s strength. CTA can be induced deliberately paired a drug causes nausea. Thus, exploiting could effective method control damage caused vertebrate pests. We tested four drugs on 88 assess ability induce determine safe doses. Our suggest fenbendazole, an anthelminthic high margin safety, ineffective. A similar drug, levamisole also was ineffective, as monkeys detected it during acquisition phase. However, we were able create aversions using thiabendazole, another anthelminthic, 17 alpha-ethynyl estradiol (EE). Once dose appropriate determined, EE demonstrated success rate 86 %, thiabendazole 46 %. Both strengths weaknesses. Only small (25 mg/kg body weight) required CTA, concealed amount food. synthetic hormone, access should limited, its distribution environment controlled. Thiabendazole considerably higher (160 establish may greater challenge conceal. Nonetheless, both appeared go undetected these tests used mild baits, e.g., wheat corn/maize. urge continued conditioned aversion studies across damage.