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Shing Mun

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Shing Mun ( Chinese : 城門 ) is an area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin in the New Territories of Hong Kong . It used to be, as suggested by its Chinese characters, a gate between the two areas separated by a range of hills .

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32-534: Before the construction of Shing Mun Reservoir , there were several villages near the valley. Some of these villages were later relocated near the Tsuen Wan entrance of Shing Mun Tunnels . The area played a major role in the defense against Japanese Invasion of Hong Kong . Gin Drinkers Line is across the area. Because there were many major constructions and geography features in the area, Shing Mun may mean one of

64-408: A design by London dam engineers Messrs Binnie , Deacon & Gourley, construction began in 1933 of a dam 122 metres wide and 35 metres high which, upon completion, had a capacity of 4 billion litres. By the conclusion of Phase Three of the scheme in 1937, the dam had been extended to 85 metres in height and 13.6 billion litres capacity. The name Jubilee Reservoir ( 銀禧水塘 ) was designated to celebrate

96-479: A few individuals to several hundred, as they are social animals. A typical social group possess between 20 and 50 individuals of all ages and of both sexes. The typical composition consists of 15% adult males, 35% adult females, 20% infants, and 30% juveniles, though there exists variation in structure and size of groups across populations. Macaques have a very intricate social structure and hierarchy, with different classifications of despotism depending on species. If

128-472: A group of rhesus macaques inhabit Silver Springs State Park . Humans often feed them, which may alter their movement and keep them close to the river on weekends where high human traffic is present. The monkeys can become aggressive toward humans (largely due to human ignorance of macaque behavior), and also carry potentially fatal human diseases, including the herpes B virus . Several species of macaque are used extensively in animal testing , particularly in

160-593: A macaque of a lower level in the social chain has eaten berries and none are left for a higher-ranking macaque, then the one higher in status can, within this social organization, remove the berries from the other monkey's mouth. The reproductive potential of each species differs. Populations of the rhesus macaque can grow at rates of 10% to 15% per year if the environmental conditions are favorable. However, some forest-dwelling species are endangered with much lower reproductive rates. After one year of age, macaques move from being dependent on their mother during infancy, to

192-631: A typical lifespan of 20 to 30 years. Certain species under the genus Macaca have become invasive in certain parts of the world, while others that survive in forest habitats remain threatened . The long-tailed macaque ( M. fascicularis ) is listed as a threat and invasive alien species in Mauritius , along with the rhesus macaques ( M. mulatta ) in Florida. Despite this, the former is listed as endangered. The long-tailed macaque causes severe damage to parts of its range where it has been introduced because

224-644: The Great Clearance imposed by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty was rescinded, many Hakkas settled in this area, growing rice, tea and pineapples. In the early 20th century, there were seven villages in the area. The Shing Mun Reservoir was built as part of the Shing Mun Water Supply Scheme formulated in 1923 to meet the increasing demand for fresh water due to the urbanisation of Kowloon . To

256-463: The Institution of Civil Engineers . The subsidiary 25m high Pineapple Pass Dam consists of earth, rockfill and concrete core. Macaque monkeys are common in the area. The gorge dam, the valve tower and the bellmouth overflow are listed as Grade I historic buildings , while the steel bridge of the reservoir is listed as a Grade II historic building . The Memorial Stone of Shing Mun Reservoir

288-666: The Silver Jubilee (1935) of King George V of the United Kingdom , though the name has fallen into disuse. The local inhabitants were resettled in other parts of the New Territories, including Shing Mun San Tsuen , Wo Hop Shek , Pan Chung and Kam Tsin Wai . Some of the old villages are now submerged. The remains of other villages and houses can be seen in the woods on the side of the reservoir. The remains of Gin Drinkers Line on

320-717: The US state of Florida consisting, essentially, of monkeys abandoned when a failed boat ride-safari was shut down in the mid-20th century. A probable Early Pliocene macaque molar from the Red Crag Formation ( Waldringfield , United Kingdom), represents one of the oldest and northernmost records of the genus in Europe reported to date. Macaques are mainly frugivorous , although some species have been observed feeding on insects. In natural habitats, they have been observed to consume certain parts of over one hundred species of plants including

352-400: The neuroscience of visual perception and the visual system . Nearly all (73–100%) captive rhesus macaques are carriers of the herpes B virus . This virus is harmless to macaques, but infections of humans, while rare, are potentially fatal, a risk that makes macaques unsuitable as pets. Urban performing macaques also carried simian foamy virus , suggesting they could be involved in

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384-417: The species-to-species jump of similar retroviruses to humans. Management techniques have historically been controversial, and public disapproval can hinder control efforts. Previously, efforts to remove macaque individuals were met with public resistance. One management strategy that is currently being explored is that of sterilization . Natural resource managers are being educated by scientific studies in

416-680: The Asian continent and are highly adaptable . Certain species are synanthropic , having learned to live alongside humans, but they have become problematic in urban areas in Southeast Asia and are not suitable to live with, as they can carry transmittable diseases. Most macaque species are listed as vulnerable to critically endangered on the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Aside from humans (genus Homo ),

448-507: The area around the reservoir was a dense forest with very few inhabitants. At least from 1646 to 1659, Southern Ming loyalist Li Wanrong (李萬榮), leading a cohort numbering in thousands, controlled Kowloon and much of today's New Territories, collecting taxes and fortifying villages, including erecting a fortress in the lower part of the Shing Mun River valley . Hence the area became known as Shing Mun or "fortified gate". After 1669, when

480-437: The buds, fruit, young leaves, bark, roots, and flowers. When macaques live amongst people , they raid agricultural crops such as wheat, rice, or sugarcane ; and garden crops like tomatoes, bananas, melons, mangos, or papayas . In human settings, they also rely heavily on direct handouts from people. This includes peanuts, rice, legumes , or even prepared food. Macaques live in established social groups that can range from

512-580: The following by context: This Hong Kong location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Shing Mun Reservoir Shing Mun Reservoir is a reservoir in Hong Kong. It is located in Shing Mun , the area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin , in the New Territories . Administratively, it is located within the boundaries of Tsuen Wan District . Several hundreds years ago,

544-478: The juvenile stage, where they begin to associate more with other juveniles through rough tumble and playing activities. They sexually mature between three and five years of age. Females will usually stay with the social group in which they were born; however, young adult males tend to disperse and attempt to enter other social groups. Not all males succeed in joining other groups and may become solitary, attempting to join other social groups for many years. Macaques have

576-472: The long-tailed macaque ( M. fascicularis ; also called the crab-eating macaque) will supplement their diets with small amounts of meat from shellfish, insects, and small mammals. On average, a southern pig-tailed macaque ( M. nemestrina ) in Malaysia eats about 70 large rats each year. All macaque social groups are arranged around dominant matriarchs . Macaques are found in a variety of habitats throughout

608-450: The long-tailed macaque being listed as endangered. Macaques are highly adaptable to different habitats and climates and can tolerate a wide fluctuation of temperatures and live in varying landscape settings. They easily adapt to human- built environments and can survive well in urban settings if they are able to obtain food. They can also survive in completely natural settings absent of humans. The ecological and geographic ranges of

640-495: The macaque are the widest of any non-human primate. Their habitats include the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia , Sri Lanka , India , arid mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan , and temperate mountains in Algeria , Japan , China , Morocco , and Nepal . Some species also inhabit villages and towns in cities in Asia. There is also an introduced population of rhesus macaques in

672-567: The macaques are the most widespread primate genus, ranging from Japan to the Indian subcontinent , and in the case of the Barbary macaque ( Macaca sylvanus ), to North Africa and Southern Europe . Twenty-three macaque species are currently recognized. Macaques are robust primates whose arms and legs are about the same in length. The fur of these animals is typically varying shades of brown or black and their muzzles are rounded in profile with nostrils on

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704-412: The near extinction of several bird species on Mauritius by destroying the nests of the birds as they move through their native ranges and eat the eggs of critically endangered species, such as the pink pigeon and Mauritian green parrot. They can be serious agricultural pests because they raid crops and gardens and humans often shoot the monkeys which can eliminate entire local populations. In Florida,

736-496: The nearby hills show the defences of British forces against the Japanese invasion during World War II . The main dam, or Gorge Dam, located at the southern end of the reservoir incorporated several technological novelties at the time of its construction. The dam is an early form of concrete-faced rockfill dam with the upstream reinforced concrete face being near vertical, supported on a mass concrete thrust block. The 85m high dam

768-506: The order of dominance frequently shifts. Female dominance lasts longer and depends upon their genealogical position. Macaques are able to swim and spend most of their time on the ground and spend some time in trees. They have large pouches in their cheeks where they carry extra food. They are considered highly intelligent and are often used in the medical field for experimentation due to their remarkable similarity to humans in emotional and cognitive development. Extensive experimentation has led to

800-414: The populations grow unchecked due to a lack of predators. On the island of Mauritius, they have created serious conservation concerns for other endemic species . They consume seeds of native plants and aid in the spread of exotic weeds throughout the forests. This changes the composition of the habitats and allows them to be rapidly overrun by invasive plants. Long-tailed macaques are also responsible for

832-562: The proposed strategy. Effectiveness of this strategy is estimated to succeed in keeping populations in check. For example, if 80% of females are sterilized every five years, or 50% every two years, it could effectively reduce the population. Other control strategies include planting specific trees to provide protection to native birds from macaque predation, live trapping, and the vaccine porcine zona pellucida (PZP), which causes infertility in females. In January 2018, scientists in China reported in

864-450: The second through fifth toes, almost reaching the first metatarsal joint. The monkey's size differs depending on sex and species. Males from all species can range from 41 to 70 cm (16 to 28 inches) in head and body length, and in weight from 5.5 to 18 kg (12.13 to 39.7 lb). Females can range from a weight of 2.4 to 13 kg (5.3 to 28.7 lb). These primates live in troops that vary in size, where males dominate, however

896-539: The side of the reservoir. Macaque See text The macaques ( / m ə ˈ k ɑː k , - ˈ k æ k / ) constitute a genus ( Macaca ) of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae . The 23 species of macaques inhabit ranges throughout Asia, North Africa , and (in Gibraltar ) Europe . Macaques are principally frugivorous (preferring fruit), although their diet also includes seeds, leaves, flowers, and tree bark. Some species such as

928-576: The surrounding area is managed under Shing Mun Country Park . The Shing Mun Fung Shui Woodland covers about 6 hectares near the northeastern end of the Shing Mun Reservoir. Historically related to the former nearby Tai Wai Village, that was evacuated in 1929, the woodland was protected by the villagers in accordance with feng shui traditions. The woodland has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1975. Two walking trails, Wilson Trail and MacLehose Trail , cross at

960-430: The upper surface. The tail varies among each species, which can be long, moderate, short or totally absent. Although several species lack tails, and their common names refer to them as apes , these are true monkeys, with no greater relationship to the true apes than any other Old World monkeys . Instead, this comes from an earlier definition of 'ape' that included primates generally. In some species, skin folds join

992-457: Was declared as a monument in September 2009. It was part of a batch of 41 pre-World War II waterworks structures located in six reservoir areas, namely Pok Fu Lam Reservoir , Tai Tam Group of Reservoirs , Wong Nai Chung Reservoir , Kowloon Reservoir , Shing Mun (Jubilee) Reservoir and Aberdeen Reservoir , that were declared at that time. To preserve the natural environment of the reservoir,

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1024-480: Was the then (1936) highest dam in the old British Empire . The bellmouth overflow is a circular masonry structure in the reservoir surmounted by a masonry footbridge connecting it to the shore. This uncommon feature replaces the overspill weirs found at other reservoirs. Designed in 1935 by Geoffrey Binnie of Binnie, Deacon & Gourley, the bellmouth overflow received the Telford Premium Award from

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