University compensates students who had food stolen by monkeys

Kaohsiung, July 21 (CNA) A 6-month campaign promoting "human-monkey coexistence" at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung has compensated 17 students who surrendered their food to Formosan macaques during confrontations on campus, the university said Sunday.

The campaign from Feb. 1-July 31 has given up to NT$100 (US$3) to each victim, most of whom were attacked in hotspots near convenience stores or parking areas, a spokesperson for the school told CNA.

Under the campaign rules, students who purchased food from on-campus vendors can apply for a replacement meal if they gave up their food to monkeys during raids, the spokesperson said.

To be eligible, however, the students must also provide food receipts and photos of the monkeys.

According to the university, the compensation scheme aims to encourage "yielding to macaques" for self-protection, as students often engage in dangerous tugs-of-war with the animals during raids.

"Food means everything to monkeys. Don't show your food to them," the campaign poster warns.

Located near Shoushan, commonly known in English as "Monkey Mountain," home to several Formosan macaque colonies, the university has experienced regular monkey attacks and subsequently implemented various measures to enhance campus safety.

For instance, it has offered tutorials for boarding students to build their monkey-proof screens and plans to work with related school departments to develop robots or automatic control systems to drive the macaques away.