Know Before You Go

Toque macaques are endemic to Sri Lanka. Their name comes from the tuft of hair at the top of their heads which looks like the brimless hat known as a “toque.”

They are known locally as “Riwala,” and generally live in troops of eight to more than forty individuals, although average troop size is around 20. They have pouches in their cheeks where they store food while they forage.

The males use their large canines to fiercely defend their territory and mates against competing males, and these contests are often fatal.

These monkeys spend much of their time on the ground and are often seen as a pest species as a result of them frequently raiding crops. When they aren’t eating villagers’ crops, they are primarily fruit eaters with occasional additions of flowers and insects.