Genetic Diversity of Tourist-Habituated Rhesus Macaques Inhabiting Wulongkou Area, Jiyuan, China: Based on Deceased Individuals

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), the iconic species of genus Macaca, is characterized by the greatest geographical distribution of all nonhuman primates and is an important resource in many wildlife-related tourism areas, especially in China. In the current study, the genetic diversity was assessed by ten microsatellite loci with DNA obtained from muscle tissue of deceased individuals of free-ranging but tourist-habituated rhesus population naturally inhabiting the Wulongkou Scenic Area, Jiyuan, China, where they have been exploited for tourism since the early 1980s. The results showed that the genetic diversity for the studied rhesus population was relatively lower compared with its wild and captive counterparts, and the samples collected from the population subdivision in the studied area could mask the finding. Therefore, we proposed that a group-based study of the genetic diversity would help to clarify the genetic structure/diversity of rhesus macaques in this area, and then reasonable management recommendations could be provided for the sustainable development of local wildlife-dominated tourism.