Cultivating Care: Behaviourally Informed Conservation Strategies to Safeguard the Future of the Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque (Macaca nigra)

Primate conservation is a behavioural challenge and as such requires behaviourally informed solutions. We provide a case study, applying social science principles and concepts to address primate conservation challenges. Selamatkan Yaki is a conservation programme focused on the Critically Endangered, Sulawesi crested black macaque (Macaca nigra) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. A holistic strategy of education, capacity building, and community-based conservation draws upon a blend of insights from multiple social scientific disciplines alongside direct research with communities in the area exploring their cultural histories, behavioural drivers, and relationships with nature. We outline a series of five approaches based on behavioural concepts and describe the benefits, impact, and shortfalls of our methods. We illustrate how the resultant systematic stepwise strategy aims to address some of the key issues of primate conservation management in an innovative way. By incorporating sociopsychological principles and deeper understandings of behavioural science into primate conservation programmes, practitioners may broaden the interpretation, communication, and application of research findings with the potential to maximise the effectiveness of threat reduction campaigns and interventions.