OITA – A “change of power” ceremony took place in early March for a troop of some 540 wild monkeys fed by humans at a mountain in Oita, with a local official issuing a certificate to formally recognize the new alpha male.
The Takasakiyama (Mount Takasaki) Natural Zoological Garden conducted the ceremony March 3 after a one-month observation period to make sure that Makoto, a male macaque estimated to be 14 years old, had indeed become the troop’s boss, taking over the post from Tiger, believed to be 26 years old.
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