MACAQUE ATTACK
Written By: Karen D. Gill

She was loving when she wanted to be. Her arms would wrap around you and you would feel the strength of her muscular frame. With me she was obedient and submissive. There was mutual love and respect. With others she chose when to give love and when she needed to show them who was boss. Twenty-four pounds of fury, unleashed at you in an instant. Unpredictable, lightning quick, and determined that nothing would stop her.

One of many attacks on my 15 year old happened so quick that even though I was three feet away, holding the leash while watching, she managed to bite three times before I pulled her off. The bites were meant to convey her power. She shook her head like a shark going after bait. My child's arm was grabbed by her hands to ensure she could maintain her position and finish what she set her mind to do.

People see the macaques as infants and quickly fall in love. To me there is nothing cuter than that little body with a head so big it looks like it might fall over. The big protruding ears, the warmth in the eyes, the little wrinkled mouth. It is hard to resist.

The public needs to be aware what a couple of years of growth and maturity unleashes. The infant macaque will love and play with everyone in the family. But natural inborn dominance will soon become apparent.  If young children are in the household, they will become the first target. The macaque quickly senses the child is submissive to the parents wishes and the child is the weakest of the human family.

A macaque must dominate everyone it can. It is their nature. In the wild it is survival. It is born into them, wild or captive raised. They have a high intelligence and are masters of perception. They can read your expressions, and understand the inflections of voice. A child who is reprimanded and scolded is seen as an easy step up the ladder where dominance is the goal. The macaque will start it's aggression by threatening the child by using facial expressions. This usually happens during a confrontation between parent and child. With time, the macaque will feel the need to confront the child on it's own.  It will happen quickly, perhaps by the child taking away a toy or possession the macaque is playing with. The first show of force may be a slap or a pinch. Or it may be a quick bite. When the adult steps in and tries to correct the behavior, the macaque will try and maintain their position over the child again, either physically or by facial signals. The child scared by the attack, will no doubt back off. This is quickly sensed by the macaque and feeds the passion for power. They will sense they have won the first round.

The aggression will escalate. Each confrontation ending with increasing injury to the victim. The reaming members of the household will be sized up and in time will become targets as well. Only one person will be seen as an Alpha. A protector, a leader, higher in rank than the macaque. The macaque chooses who will attain this status.

These strong willed primates will take on everyone and anything seen as a threat to their position in rank. They will fight until injured near death. They will protect their Alpha human anytime they sense a threat. They will take on any opponent.

They are dangerous, and like a ticking bomb, they can and will explode!

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If I close my eyes and walk away
When I see something wrong
Pretend it didn't happen
And sing a happy song
What could I expect
Someone else to do
If it were me in trouble
And I were trusting you.