Skip to content

Nepal Survey Counted 20,395 Rhesus Macaques in 44 Selected Mid-hill Areas

Male rhesus macaque in Gokarna Forest near Kathmandu, Nepal
Conservation · Population & status

Field teams directly counted 20,395 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in 478 troops across 44 local government areas in Nepal’s mid-hills. The National Trust for Nature Conservation report, published on 7 August 2026, drew on fieldwork conducted from April to July 2025. The 44 areas were deliberately selected from places reporting substantial wildlife conflict, rather than chosen as a random sample of the whole mid-hill region. Local networks first reported monkey sightings, and field teams of one to three researchers per ward then carried out synchronised counts between 06:00 and 07:00, recording the animals they observed.

The counts covered 4,023 km². Troops averaged 42.66 animals and ranged from 5 to 198. The report also states that 16,517.57 km² of forest in the affected mid-hill regions might hold more than 104,137 rhesus macaques. That larger figure is therefore a broader estimate for an area beyond the direct counts, not another set of animals that field teams observed.

Most recorded macaques were in forest

Of the 20,395 animals counted, 84% were recorded in forest and 16% near agricultural land and forest edges. The report found larger troops near cropland and also linked larger groups with proximity to roads and food provided by people.

The population survey formed part of a wider conflict study

The rhesus macaque work was one part of a broader report on crop-raiding wildlife in Nepal’s mid-hills. A household survey of 1,846 respondents in affected areas found that 98% identified monkeys as the most problematic animal. For maize, households reported an average production of 620 kg per year and an average loss of 312 kg, or 50.3% of production. These were household-reported losses from the conflict survey rather than measurements from the macaque counts themselves.

NTNC recommends an integrated approach that combines habitat and waste management, crop protection, community participation and government support.

Sources and image credit

  1. National Trust for Nature Conservation & Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University. (2026). Socio-Economic Impacts and Control Mechanisms of Problematic Wildlife Species in Mid-hill Regions of Nepal (Monkey, Wild boar, and Porcupine).Primary NTNC report published 7 August 2026. Forty-four highly affected local units were selected for detailed study. Field teams directly documented 20,395 rhesus macaques in 478 troops within 4,023 km²; the report states that affected mid-hill forest areas might hold more than 104,137 animals. A household survey of 1,846 respondents also documented substantial reported crop losses.

Image: Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia Commons — wild male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) in Gokarna Forest near Kathmandu, Nepal, 17 November 2019; Wikimedia Commons Featured Picture and Quality Image; CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative species image, not an animal from the 2025 field survey. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Population & status

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.