Which species of primate do you think are the most bad tempered, both in captivity and the wild state? My choice would be the Crab-eating macaque. As a keeper I have been attacked by these animals, and also in several different Asian countries where I have encountered them in the wild. Nasty tempered beasts!
But in all seriousness, from what I have heard the most bad-tempered primate species are chimpanzees, macaques and guenons - with the Sulawesi Black Macaque and Hamlyn's Macaque specifically cited as some of the most surly.
I spent some time surrounded by the black macaques in Sulawesi and at no time was, or felt, threatened. I agree that chimps can be nasty, but we really don't normally mix with them too closely. As far as guenons are concerned; I have kept several species and never had a problem.
Definitely human-habituated wild Crab-eating Macaques for me - horrible nasty things. But if I had to choose which primate I would least like to be enclosed with, it would be Chimpanzees. Baboons would come in a close second. I think both would kill me pretty quickly.
The nastiest primate - for this discussion discounting a sadly rather significant proportion of the human species - I've ever encountered was a male chimpanzee named Jimmy at the Olmense Zoo in Belgium. This chimpanzee apparently doesn't really enjoy being watched and sometimes shouted at or heckled by visitors, and he responds by throwing whatever he has at hand at visitors - chunks of grass, mud, sticks, rocks, food scraps, and worst of all, fecal matter. There are signs explaining his behavior and advising visitors on how to behave near the chimpanzee exhibit, but unfortunately for some of the nastier members of our own species (and I'm putting this pretty mildly here) that just seems to have the opposite effect and seems to encourage them to do just the things the signs prohibit, i.e. shouting at the ape, imitating his intimidation displays and so on, which usually provokes the ape into throwing stuff. I've seen this happen at the zoo myself - after being heckled by an idiot visitor the ape threw faeces towards the public (I guess he had ran out of mud already). The steel mesh barrier and wall at the front of the exhibit, as well as nearby areas are often covered with the leftovers of the chimpanzee's behavior. I've also seen chimpanzees throwing or smearing fecal matter on the windows in Antwerp, but at least they have no way of reaching the public. I would say that anything involving primates, in this case chimpanzees, and their faeces would count as pretty nasty.
At Gombe stream reserve in Africa they tell you not to look at the baby baboons carried on their semi-tame mothers' backs as that can threaten them and cause them to scream, provoking males to attack in their defence. I unthinkingly retrieved a food plate an adult male had stolen and then dropped. He rushed back down the path and threatened me but did not attack- just gave me a shove with his hand...
My advice is to stick to Demidoff's galagos Demidoff's galago (pet) 3 by gentle lemur posted 18 Jul 2016 at 4:04 PM
I really had in mind species that we normally would be able to enter their pens; not so much the many species that no-one in their right minds would try to go in with. In the wild there are many species that seem to tolerate a human presence, as long as you are aware of the 'protocols'. Crab-eating macaques seem to be naturally nasty and vicious without any provocation!
Maybe mentioned as a joke but I realy think humans ( and not only the one on the picture ) are the most nasty primate-species. Not only what they do to other humans ( newspapers are every day full of it ) but also what they do to their environment ! Of all the other primate-species I wouldn't like to get eye-to-eye with Chimpanzees in a bad mood and also Mandrils which had a bad night would not be one my wish-list ! A species normaly known as the gentle giant can also be very nasty. A male Eastern lowland gorilla in the 1970-ties at Antwerp Zoo had the habit to trow stones and feces to the visitors !
Chimpanzees could not only be nasty in captivity, also in the wild some groups are getting very violent ! : ‘I am scared all the time’: Chimps and people are clashing in rural Uganda
I've heard that chimpanzees, baboons, and capuchins can be nasty. On the other hand, what are some of the most passive and friendly primate species you've heard of? (I've heard that Bonobos and Orangs are pretty passive.)
Most definitely chimpanzees. I say this anecdotally and from what others who have worked with them have told me as thankfully I haven't had much personal experience with these and frankly I dont ever want to either. I don't particularly like them as animals or find them interesting at all. A close second to the chimp from what I've observed would be male Hamydryas baboons which can behave very aggressively both towards females of their species and also to their keepers. There is one particular captive baboon that I remember which (this might be an anthromorphism on my part) almost seemed to me to be a bit of a psychopath. Among the New world world primates , none from what I've observed have a particular propensity towards aggression towards people, though every individual will have a different temperament based on its life experience, and all will attack if threatened. Spider monkeys can be a bit boistrous and play rough (one once tore a tuft of my hair out while playing) but are typically very amiable animals and build strong bonds with keepers. Woolly monkeys generally the same as spider monkeys but some of the temperament is "howler monkeyish" in terms of being a bit more easy going and affable. Howler monkeys are usually too lethargic to be aggressive and typically have very easy going and relaxed characters and form bonds easy. Capuchin monkeys are a bit temperamental , jittery, and highly strung particularly the alpha males but as long as the alpha doesn't take a disliking to you/ feel threatened then so will the group and you are fine. Muriquis from what I've seen live up to their reputation as being the "hippy" monkey and I haven't even seen any aggressive behaviour in them towards eachother let alone towards people (though some individuals definitely have favourite keepers and show passive aggressive behaviour towards those they dont like). Saki and squirrel monkeys , in my experience they are kind of a bit more shy, standoffish and wary/tenative with people. Titi monkeys , similar to saki monkeys in terms of being mistrustful and standoffish and easily alarmed. Owl monkeys , shy and easily alarmed, not aggressive at all (from what I've observed), good natured.
