Somehow, most of the rhesus macaques living on an island off the coast of Puerto Rico survived Hurricane Maria’s devastation.
However, their behaviors have dramatically changed since the way they acted before that extreme storm in 2017.
What’s happening?
As NPR reported, scientists brought rhesus macaques to the tiny island of Cayo Santiago in 1938 to create an experimental field site to observe them in the wild. They described the monkeys as aggressive, hierarchical, intolerant, and competitive.
Hurricane Maria destroyed their habitat, including about two-thirds of the island’s vegetation. Only the full sun remained, with very little shade.
However, the monkeys weren’t fighting over the small patches of shade to cool off, as they usually would based on past behavior patterns.
Instead, the monkeys were agreeable to hanging out closer together to share the shade and were not nearly as aggressive as they had been before their habitat changed.
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“It’s completely the opposite of what we thought this primate would do,” said Lauren Brent, a University of Exeter behavioral ecologist. “What you’re trying to do is lower your body temperature as efficiently as possible.”
Why are changes in animal behavior important?
Animal behaviors are rooted in their social structures and how they cope with natural challenges.
From a human perspective, the macaques becoming more flexible and tolerant may sound like a positive improvement. However, it is unclear what long-term effects will result from population-wide behavioral shifts.
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events alter how humans, wildlife, and plants adapt and transform to new normal conditions. Social flexibility in rhesus macaques is just one example of how species adapt to our changing climate.
What’s being done about wildlife habitat loss?
Scientists have been studying animal behaviors closely as intense weather events become more frequent over relatively short periods of time.
Some other mammals, such as the white-lipped peccary, alter their behavior and become more nocturnal to cope with the heat. This change offers hope that species can be resilient to rising temperatures and still thrive in our world.
Meanwhile, other research reveals increased extinction risks due to warmer temperatures and forced changes in feeding patterns.
These are all lessons to be learned from as humans, too. We can do our part to limit the negative impacts of climate-related adaptions by adopting more sustainable habits into daily life and incorporating native plants within broader regional ranges to prepare for future impacts and support local pollinators and wildlife.
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