ZAATOT, for Man and Monkey in the High-Atlas
Completed actions
Since 2009, date of the first study conducted by the Semlalia Faculty at the request of the Toubkal National Park to estimate the population of Barbary Macaques in the Upper Ourika Valley, actions have taken place every year to better identify the threats to macaques and propose operations capable of ensuring their survival in the valley.
Published works
Two main scientific studies concerning the population of Barbary Macques in the Ourika Valley, carried out by the team of Pr. Mohammed ZNARI, from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics Laboratory of the Semlalia Faculty of Sciences, with his students who have since become doctors: Moulay Abdeljalil AIT BAAMRANE, Mohamed NAIMI, Salwa NAMOUS. Salwa defended her doctoral thesis in July 2019 on this subject: "Ecology of Barbary Macaques, Macaca sylvanus, and its incursions into cultures in the upper Ourika valley: implications for the conservation and management of the Human-Monkey conflict ".
A National Action Plan for the magot monkey was drafted in 2012 under the direction of the High Commission for Water and Forests with the collaboration of the MPC Moroccan Primate Conservation and the participation of the Direction of the Toubkal National Park. In November 2015, at the initiative of the DPNT, a Strategic Species Conservation Plan for the Magot monkey of the upper Ourika valley was drawn up with the participation of the Semlalia Faculty of Sciences of UCAM, the Center Regional Forestry Research Center, local associations (Amal n'Setti Fadma, Bureau des Guides), the Society for the Protection of Animals and Nature SPANA, the National Park of Ifrane, the Agricultural High School of Montmorot, the MPC (moroccan primate conservation).
Students and Volunteers
Lou JAUD - June/august 2023
Animation and ecotourism
Lou, student in Managment and Protection of Nature, carried out the project of naturalist and ecotourism hikes: allowing to create the map and the naturalist booklet usable by the guides and tourists during the discovery of the Valley and the proximity with the Toubkal National Park. Lou has also developed activities (discovery of wild flora) for the Nature Club.
Agathe PUYFAUD - April and july 2023
Animation and ecotourism
During her internship, Agathe, a student in Management and Protection of Nature, took steps to create the Nature Club for the children of Setti-Fatma, setting up activities to raise awareness of Barbary Macaques. She also continued the research work on the behavior of different groups of macaques initiated by Anne and Soanna.
Anne GUIONNEAU and Soanna DANNY - March/april 2023
Research
During their internship, they were interested in the impact of Man on 3 groups of magots through a double scientific study. Soanna studied demography (gender, age, number, birth rate) in order to make comparisons with previous years and to predict the stability or otherwise of the population over time. At the same time, it also carried out a mapping of the habitats of the Upper Ourika Valley in order to report on the state of degradation of the environments in the valley.
Anne was initially interested in the surface of the vital domains of the groups, adding a functional dimension to it to bring out the uses of it. Then, she studied the behavior of individuals with the aim of determining strategies for using space according to proximity to humans.
Hermine HOUDAS -
International Volunteer
Lou COUDURIER - Mars/Avril et Juillet 2022
Research and Animation
Intern at the Natural History Museum of Marrakech, carried out a demographic study of the Barbary Macaque: counting, photo-identification of individuals and production of a catalog of portraits and study of the impact of natural and human factors on the demography of the groups of Setti-Fatma (accustomed to Man) and Agadir N'ait Boulmane (unaccustomed). In July 2022, Lou returned as an eco-volunteer stay leader. Allowed the supervision of young French and Moroccan volunteers in the realization of floristic inventories and the creation of a nature awareness center during a 14-day stay
Alexiane Grieu - March 2020
In master 1 "Biodiversity, ecology, evolution" at the University of Bourgogne-Dijon, Alexiane carried out for 2 months (and this despite the Covid-19 crisis and the closing of borders) the demographic profile of two groups of monkeys : that of Illkri and that located in Agadir n'Ait Boulmane further up the valley. She "shot the portrait" of 40 monkeys aged 4 and over. She thus individually identified, using the same method as Chloé in 2018, all of the 30 adults and sub-adults of the Ilkri group, and identified the females followed by a one-year-old youngster (to estimate the birth rate of the previous breeding season and the survival rate of juveniles).
The departure of the monkeys earlier than planned did not allow Alexiane to complete the work with the Agadir group, i.e. the individual identification of females followed by a one-year-old.
She therefore had to redirect her study towards a comparison of facial pigmentation with the help of very good quality photos that she was able to take in the field. It was thus able to show significant differences between males and females of the same group or of 2 distinct groups
Research
Chloé Fouilloux, 2018-2019
Franco-American in fullbright internship, Chloé initiated the catalog of portraits of the monkeys of a group. To better understand the structure of the group and its future, she proposed an individual recognition method based on particular pigmentary characters at the level of the face or the ischial (or buttock) calluses, see the example below. This identification technique had been used and recommended by Liz Campbell, researcher at the Moroccan Primate Conservation during her work on groups of Middle Atlas monkeys (Azrou, Ifrane).
Research
Chloé Fouilloux, 2018-2019
The observation made by Chloé during her internship at Setti Fatma is that cafe owners saw the arrival of the monkeys on their terraces as an opportunity: customers and tourists were delighted to be able to approach the most daring individuals and all were even tempted to feed them to see them up close. This begging behavior and artificial feeding alters the behavior and health of monkeys. That's why Chloe persuaded cafe owners to ban these behaviors and put up awareness signs on the terrace.
Ecotourism
Lou Coudurier and Tristan Minard - July 2018
At the request of the Toubkal National Park and with the technical assistance of the Regional Center for Forestry Research in Marrakech, Lou and Tristan specified the habitat monitoring plots already identified by Jérémy and Kerrian in 2017. They also proposed a experimental protocol for direct sowing of holm oak acorns and their recovery rate, according to the techniques proposed by Alice the previous year.
Lou and Tristan at the Marrakech nursery in front of the 6-month holm oak plans that will allow the DPEFLCD to plant 20ha plots in the protected area for 3 years in a row (2018, 2019, 2020).
Conservation
Tristan Minard - august 2018
The Toubkal NP is interested in setting up an interpretation trail capable of presenting the natural and cultural richness (the cultivation of fruits in terraced orchards) and the reforestation actions implemented by the Waters and Forests. It will have to show the multiple and cross-benefits of this approach to both preserve the habitat of the monkey, restore the forest estate and fight against erosion, and finally improve the pastures for the herds of sheep and goats (see the presentation elements below).
Ecotourism
Alice Besnard - November 2017
Alice proposed an animation at the primary school of Setti Fatma after having presented it to the students of Management and Protection of Nature on a study trip with the Master students of the Semlalia Faculty of Marrakech. Its purpose was to show the analogies and differences between humans and monkeys, and the very strong interdependence between the nest egg and the forest (holm oak trees and incidentally common walnut). This time of animation prepared with the environmental education service of the PN of Toubkal and the AESVT thus favored an emotional approach (recognizing in the monkey a living being close to oneself) and ecological (interdependence and need to protect forest habitat).
Ecotourism
Jérémy Tisserand and Kérrian Marguerite - July 2017
Jérémy and Kerrian, joined by Alice Besnard, all Management and Protection of Nature students, carried out a diagnosis of the main natural habitats in the protected area and proposed protocols for monitoring natural regeneration. Alice has conducted research on the different techniques for restoring holm oak: natural and assisted regeneration (direct seeding and watering), planting seedlings.
Conservation
Soraya Perchec and Elliott Gabu - July 2016
Management and Protection of Nature students, Soraya and Elliott worked at the request of the DREFLCD on a pre-study to determine the contours of a 300 ha protected area allowing the restoration of holm oak by planting and natural regeneration.
Conservation
Molly Gray - July 2014
As part of a Masters in Primate Conservation at Brookes University, Oxford, Molly conducted 70 interviews with farmers in the valley to better understand the losses caused by ape depredation in crops.
Research
Léo Henry and Anthony Briquez - July 2013
As part of an internship in Management and Protection of Nature, Léo and Anthony conducted two studies simultaneously: estimating the number of macaques in the entire area and a test to estimate the repellent power of peppers to keep away the monkeys away from the fruits.
The estimate of the population in 2013 by the same method as that used by M. Znari, S. Namous, A. Ait Baamrane and M. Naimi (Line Transect Distance Sampling) is about 90 individuals against 120 in 2009. There would therefore be a decrease in the overall number and a priori also a tendency to regroup in certain favorable sectors close to the crops with the reduction in the number of small groups more isolated in the mountains.
The test of peppers, effective against other species such as elephants, was inconclusive here: despite the decoctions sprayed on the fruits, they were still eaten by monkeys: the concentration of capsaicin, the irritating molecule of pepper , was apparently not sufficient. But a stronger concentration would have required excessive quantities of peppers and fillers, and the very idea of this too expensive method of protection was therefore abandoned.
Research
Manon Mougin and Armand Bouguereau -November 2012
Management and Protection of Nature students, they carried out two innovative educational actions: one with the Environment and Theater club of the Tahanaout college led by the association of Science teachers: presentation of the species, its habitat, threats, issues and those involved in its protection (see an example of an educational tool below: "locating activities within the valley"). And the other with the primary school of Setti-Fatma: exchanges, films, theater sketches.