Chinese Rhesus Macaque Monkeys

The Rhesus Macaque, commonly known as the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best known species of Old World monkeys. The main difference between Old World monkeys and New World monkeys is that Old World monkeys have tails.

Adult males measure approximately 53 centimeters on average and weigh an average of 7.7 kilograms. Females are smaller, averaging 47 centimeters in length and 5.3 kilograms in weight. Macaques are brown or grey in color and have pink faces, which are usually devoid of fur. Their tails are of medium length and average between 20.7 and 22.9 centimeters. They normally have a lifespan of about 25 years.

Most people are probably familiar with the word "Rhesus" and probably associate it with blood, which would be the correct association to make. The Rhesus system is the second most significant blood group system in human blood transfusion and it came about thanks to the Rhesus Macaque monkey.

Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for them, the Rhesus Macaque monkey is very similar to us humans. Research has found that we shared a common ancestor 25 million years ago, and that we share 93% of the same DNA sequence! For this reason the monkeys continue to be used extensively in medical research.

That said, I don't want this lens to be about the rights and wrongs of animals being used in medical research. This lens is purely a celebration of the beautiful animals that have found sanctuary on an island in China.

Believe it or not, this is in China! Welcome to Sanya! Yes, it's your typical picture-postcard scene of a tropical paradise island with white sand, palm trees and blue skies, miles away from the smog and pollution of Beijing. It is a beautiful place, and one that I will definitely return to, but I'll save all that info for another lens! Also the place where the Miss World beauty pageant was held a few years running.

Sanya is located on Hainan Island, a province of China in the South China Sea. Some actually call it the "Hawaii of the Orient" because it lies on the same latitude as Hawaii, and today it is apparently how Hawaii was 50 years ago. There are new hotels popping up all over the place though, so that analogy won't last long!

One hour's drive east of Sanya is Monkey Island. It's called an island, but it's actually a peninsula because it's only surrounded by water on 3 sides and part of it is still connected to the mainland. To get to the island though, you need to go by cable car, which is the longest cable car journey in China.

There is a legend about Monkey Island that goes something like this:

During the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), there lived a village of Li fishermen in Lingshui County, (40 min from Sanya). One year, the village was hit by a mysterious pestilence, causing great numbers of the villagers to go blind and forcing many families to flee for their lives. Among the villagers was a young man named Yanan, known for his great fishing skills. One day, he heard a tale that told of black pearls which could cure the villagers. He immediately ventured out in his boat to search for the pearls, but soon encountered a ferocious storm which capsized his craft and endangered his life. To his great fortune, a group of mystical monkeys, following the instructions of the Monkey King, Sunwukong, were passing by on a raft, heading for an enchanted island marked by a stone likeness of a monkey.

Upon your arrival at Monkey Island you are greeted by a large bronze-like statue of a macaque monkey sitting on a pile of books and looking like it's trying to work out how to eat a big watermelon:

I remember one time I went to this place called Butterfly Valley with the hopes and expectations of photographing hundreds of butterflies...I saw three! On the way to Monkey Island I kind of had this horrible feeling that it was going to turn out to be another Butterfly Valley! I was pleasantly surprised though. From the moment you get off the cable car there are just monkeys everywhere. They're in the trees, they're strolling along the paths, they're sitting on the rooftops of the various stalls scattered around, they're everywhere. They're totally fearless too. You could just walk straight up to one and pick it up...not that that's recommended!

Monkey Island, as a nature reserve, was built in 1965 and is home for around 2,500 Rhesus Macaque monkeys, probably even more now. It's the perfect sanctuary for the monkeys, and they are a state-protected animal, so they can live on the island in safety. There are no bars, no cages, and they can run around freely. Because of the wild environment, the variety of plants and fruits, and numerous grottos, the island is regarded as the perfect paradise for monkeys.

Macaque Monkey Postage Stamps
Two Chinese macaque monkeys hugging each other on Monkey Island in Sanya in the South China Sea.
$32.85 (sheet of 20 x 76c - large)

Product Information
Large size: The very best way to show off images and designs with your mail. This size has the largest image area available on custom postage anywhere! It's so large that it's recommended only for standard letter envelopes (#10) or bigger. Makes a great gift!
Images of China on Gift Items

Baby macaque monkeys are just the cutest things! It's so tempting to just pick one up and stow it away in your backpack. Don't think the mothers would be too happy though! The mothers are very protective, I guess just like the mother's instinct is to protect her young in any species. On Monkey island too, the mother is never very far away from her baby.

Monkeys express affection and make peace with others by grooming each other. Although grooming helps monkeys keep their fur clean of dirt, dead skin, and parasites, it also helps them to build and maintain good social relationships. Grooming seems to be a way to make up after fighting or to make friends with other troop members. Some experts also say that it's a good way for monkeys to gain backing from other monkeys whenever there are fights. Some experts also believe that male monkeys use it as a kind of "payment in kind" with female monkeys...if you get my drift. I want to keep this lens G-rated!

Thank you for visiting my lens! I hope you enjoyed reading about and meeting the Chinese Rhesus Macaque monkeys of Monkey Island.