Kaohsiung grandma takes aim at marauding macaques

Kaohsiung grandma takes aim at marauding macaques

2025-02-05

The small mountain of Shoushan in Kaohsiung City is famous for its large population of Formosan rock macaques. The nimble, intelligent monkeys live all over the mountain, and frequently come into conflict with local residents. One eatery owner has become famous among locals, for her speed in pulling out a BB gun to scare the animals away from her business. Although she’s never hit a monkey, her shots do scare them away temporarily. Her sharp-shooting stance is certainly enough to make any intruder think twice. But it’s clear that in the long-term, more creative solutions are needed to enable humans and monkeys to coexist in harmony.

The target appears, and the shooter strides forward to pull the trigger.

Oden vendor
Kaohsiung
I took a shot but didn’t hit it. When I stepped forward, it hid down below. It didn’t used to be like this. They just started hassling people recently.

So who’s the sharp-shooter striking fear in the hearts of local macaques? It’s this 71-year-old oden vendor, who has been running her eatery for more than 30 years. She gets out her BB gun to scare monkeys off and protect her products, as well as the oden on customers’ tables. She’s never hit a macaque, although her stance is impressive.

Oden vendor
Kaohsiung
As soon as I walk over and shout at them, they run off. Customers say, “They scarper as soon as they see you, grandma.” It’s hard, running a business. I’m in my 70s now. I have to watch out for the monkeys while I’m working; it’s impossible.

Member of public
It’s perfect. It’s more real than what I see in the movies. If she was my grandma, I might not be here. She’d have shot me by now!

Member of public
It’s a good stance for shooting monkeys. It’s a basic skill. She’s lived here ages, been running the eatery a long time.

She works hard to protect her patrons’ plates, but this nimble monkey still swoops in to grab a bite. That’s not coming back. To protect their property, numerous Shoushan residents have applied to the city’s Agriculture Bureau for tools to keep monkeys away.

Huang Chun-chung
Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau
If it’s not a prank or a joke, but to prevent monkeys from invading property so they can run their business, then it doesn’t infringe the Act on Wildlife Conservation.

But while brandishing a gun can scare the monkeys off for a moment, it doesn’t have any lasting effect. The bigger question is how local residents and government find a way for people and monkeys to live in harmony in the long term.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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柴山獼猴踢鐵板黑輪攤阿嬤防搶"亮BB槍"

2025-02-05

高雄柴山附近，有一名讓獼猴聞風喪膽的阿嬤，只要站出來，獼猴通常會被嚇跑，原來她平常販賣黑輪，當地獼猴，每天都到攤位上搶劫，阿嬤為了守護食物，自備BB槍防範，射擊帥氣畫面被拍下，引發熱烈討論，但農業局表示，只要不是出於惡作劇，亮槍嚇猴並無違法。

目標出現，阿嬤一個箭步就是一槍。

[[柴山黑輪攤阿嬤]]
“有射過但是射不到牠，我走過去牠就躲到下面了。之前就不會這樣，最近才都糟蹋人”

獼猴聞風喪膽的頭號槍擊手，就是71歲、賣30多年的黑輪攤阿嬤，為了保護商品，還有客人桌上的黑輪，只好亮槍嚇猴，雖然從來沒打中，但阿嬤的"架式"十足。

[[柴山黑輪攤阿嬤]]
“我只要走過來，喊一聲就走了，客人說阿婆，牠看到妳就走了。做一個生意也很痛苦耶，七十幾歲了，要顧攤還要顧猴子，哪有辦法啦”

[[民眾]]
“蠻標準的，比我在電影裡面看到還真。如果她是我阿嬤，我可能現在不會在這邊， (因為)我可能早就被打掉了”

[[民眾]]
“打猴子的話很標準。基本技能，在這裡住這麼久了，那攤開很久了”

即使阿嬤努力守護客人的食物，但身手矯健的獼猴，看準食物就叼走，討也討不回來，柴山當地居民為了自保，也向農業局申請防猴工具。

[[高市農業局植物防疫及生態保育科長黃群中]]
“只要不是出於惡作劇或好玩，只是為了做生意，防止獼猴來侵擾，沒有違法野生動物保育法”

雖說亮槍嚇猴，可以暫時嚇阻猴子靠近，但終究治標不治本，要如何人猴共存，仍是相關單位跟居民，需要協調的一大課題。

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