Monkey business proves profitable

Xu Zhiqing, a researcher at the Chongqing Natural History Museum, said in the past, people occupied too much of the monkey's habitat. The food supply serves as a form of reparation, and such moderate intervention is a plausible and ecologically sustainable way to protect wildlife.

The government also offers coal subsidies to over 100 households to discourage them from felling trees, and a scenic spot was set up in 2007 to bring in extra money for villagers.

In nearby Jing'an village, residents have opened more than 30 family guesthouses, with each earning 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year.

But tourism is being developed carefully so as not to disturb the wild macaques. In 2010, a glass skywalk on a cliff was built to offer a better view for tourists to observe the macaques, but the monkeys welcomed the visitors by throwing rocks, and the skywalk was soon shut down.

Now, tourists are only allowed to see the primates from boats traveling up and down the river.

Carrying empty feed sacks on his shoulders, Dai returns to his boat and watches the animals as they wolf down the corn, a much-favored food.

He has become good friends with the macaques. While they would once flee to the forests on hearing a human voice, when they hear Dai's whistle they appear instantly, some even going so far as to imitate his sound.

"There are eight monkey kings in the area, and I know all of them," Dai said proudly. "I hope both the wild macaques and humans can have a better life together."