Yakei, Japan's monkey queen, is in danger of losing her kingdom. The 9-year-old female was just last year crowned queen of the 677-strong colony of Japanese macaque monkeys for the first time in 70 years.
Reports said that Yakei's rule at Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden in the northwest of Oita might be challenged by an 18-year-old violent male during the current mating season, which runs from November to March. Reports added that the tale revolves around a love triangle.
Japan's Monkey Queen Yakei Violently Overthrew the Alpha Male of Her Troop Due to Love Triangle
The remarkable ascent to power of the monkey matriarch was chronicled in a New York Times report. Researchers conducted a 'peanut test' involving giving the monkeys peanuts and watching who eats first.
Experts, led by Yu Kaigaishi of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, revealed that Yakei is the troop's leader. Yakei's rank was proven when men and females stood aside to let her eat first.
According to Kaigaishi, Yakei has displayed various behaviors "usually observed solely in dominating men" since then. Walking with her tail up and rattling tree branches with her body are two examples.
Kaigaishi added that Yakei acted like an adult man and became more aggressive than others. The researcher added that a hostile takeover by a female is highly unusual in Japanese macaque society.
Yakei went on a violent vendetta against her troop's four highest-ranking males after assaulting her mother and assuming the role of the top female in the troop, eventually assuming the troop's coveted alpha position after beating up Nanchu, an elderly 31-year-old male who had ruled the troop for five years.
According to Daily Mail, Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden was founded in 1952 as a monkey sanctuary, but it has never had a female leader of the macaque population before 2021 in its 70-year existence.
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How Baboons Mate During Breeding Season
Since the start of this year's breeding season, an 18-year-old male called Luffy has been making unwelcome wooing efforts on Yakei, according to reserve researchers. Meanwhile, Queen Yakei appears to be terrified of Luffy.
Kaigaishi said per Live Science that Yakei displayed a typical subservient facial expression (known as a 'fear grimace') towards Luffy, and Luffy pushed Yakei aside to monopolize food.
According to the experts, it's plausible that Luffy is dethroning Yakei to become the troop's new alpha. Alternatively, this may be a case of wooing, with Yakei demonstrating to Luffy that she isn't buying into his nonsense.
Yakei has ruled the roost for more than six months, but it's breeding season, and she's caught up in a'simian love triangle,' which observers say might disturb her.
Yakei coupled with a 15-year-old male, Goro, bit her in the face during a previous mating season in 2011.
Many primates, including baboons, go through noticeable physical changes when they're ready to mate, including thickening of the perineal skin and reddening the sexual organs.
However, now that Yakei is in charge of the unit, Goro appears to be uninterested in her.
Meanwhile, another 18-year-old high-ranking guy named Luffy has just attempted to pursue Yakei, but she looks afraid of him rather than interested.
This seeming subservience might indicate that Luffy is planning to take over the group during the mating season when violent behavior is expected.
As this primate soap opera proceeds, the following several weeks might be exciting for specialists at the reserve.
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