It’s easy to feel sorry for sad monkey faces in photographs. But what about when those monkeys are rampaging through your home? That’s the dilemma in the Malang area of East Java, Indonesia.

Several months ago, macaque monkeys started foraging in villages near Wendit park. Part of the small park, with its population of macaques, was recently developed for homes and businesses. The loss of natural habitat has forced the monkeys into surrounding communities, looking for food.

The long-tailed macaque (also known as the crab-eating macaque) is native in southeast Asia. As a species, these monkeys are able to adapt to various habitats, but prefer areas around freshwater sources. Regions that have been cleared for agriculture and development are still viable homes for macaques. In fact, they will feed on agricultural crops, as well as scavenging for garbage around inhabited areas.

The island of Java actively promotes visiting the natural spring water pool in Wendit. The pool is part of many package tours of the area. The macaques are touted as part of the appeal, along with a folk legend about the pool’s powers as a fountain of youth. Traditional performances are put on for visitors.

The nearby city of Malang is marketed as a mountain resort area with good hotels and temple ruins. Many visitors come from other parts of Indonesia. Realistically, tourism is good for the local economy; so development around Wendit may be considered a positive move in an area that already hosts businesses such as furniture manufacturers, cigarette companies and coconut oil factories.

For residents, it’s hard to find sympathy for wildlife when they are destroying parts of your home and roaming in large gangs. Scenarios like this are found all over the world, where the interests of native species are put into direct conflict with economic growth. From our distant armchairs, it is all too easy to blame development and human activity. But the human population continues to grow, requiring food, generating manufactured goods, and participating in an increasingly global economy.

There are no easy answers. However, a little forethought can go a long way in preventing problems, where land is set aside for wildlife and development is planned carefully. In addition, tourists should be aware of their impact on local economies, for better and worse. Even eco-tourism requires basic support, from accommodation to transport and food.