Abused dancing monkeys rescued from notorious training centre in Indonesia

The monkeys have been transferred from their handlers in Cirebon and relocated to the JAAN rehabilitation center in Cikole, West Java. Their rehabilitation program will focus on nursing them back to health, both mentally and physically, and if possible, preparing for them to return to the wild again.

These long-tailed macaques were taken from the wild - from as young as eight months old - to be cruelly trained for months on end, with the aim to dance and collect money from shoppers and tourists on the street.

The typical 'dancing monkey' training regime involves starving, beating and chaining monkeys by their necks, and forcing them into masks and doll outfits. The monkeys are made to stand for hours on two legs, or risk being choked. When they aren't dancing, they are often kept in tiny single cages for prolonged periods of time.

Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, Head of Animal Welfare and Research at World Animal Protection, said:

These monkeys have endured one of the cruellest training regimes imaginable. After being stolen from their mothers as babies and tortured for months, their living nightmare is finally over.

"We helped end bear dancing in Greece, Turkey, India and Nepal, and now we are one step closer to ending these horrific dancing monkey practices in Indonesia for good. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate a nationwide ban on dancing monkeys.

"Macaques are wild animals who have the right to live a wild life. We're happy that together with our partners at Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) we can give these monkeys a second chance."

Pictured: Jono (above) and Monon (below) were among the monkeys rescued. Credit: Jakarta Animal Aid Network

Femke den Haas, CEO at Jakarta Animal Aid Network said: "These are Jono and Monon, both male long tail macaques who have endured a life of suffering since they were little infants. They were terribly abused while being trained as a 'dancing monkey' and during the entertainment of tourists.

'It is such an incredible relief to see the dark boxes, in which the monkeys were kept when they were not performing, finally get opened. It is really heartwarming, knowing that their journey to freedom has started in which they will be able to connect to each other and to other primates and live a life they truly deserve."

Now these 31 monkeys have been rescued, each of them is quarantined for approximately two to three months to reduce the risk of disease transmission. During this period they will undergo a series of veterinary examinations, including x-ray tests to detect whether they have any gunshot wounds. This is because macaques are shot when poached from the wild, often with air rifles that use small bullets that wound instead of kill.

The rescued monkeys will explore new diets and environments, as well as develop climbing, foraging and predator avoidance skills. JAAN also does extensive work to create new family social bonds between the rescued monkeys so they can hopefully be released together as a family, and therefore able to socialise like they would in the wild.

The practice of dancing monkeys for entertainment is known as Topeng Monyet in Indonesia, which literally translates to 'monkey mask'. In 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment instructed a ban on the use of dancing monkeys, however this has not been implemented. So while Cirebon is the final dancing village, more needs to be done to completely eradicate the practice in Indonesia.

World Animal Protection is working with JAAN to ensure this is the last generation of dancing monkeys. The Indonesian Government and JAAN are supporting the handlers to establish them with alternate livelihoods that don't involve harming animals. Each handler has outlined their desired pathway, which most commonly involves selling toys, accessories and food.

Long-tailed macaques are one of the most traded and exploited primates in Indonesia. Due to their remarkable intelligence and social skills, this species has sadly become a target of the entertainment, pet and research industries. Years of exploitation have led to this species becoming endangered.

World Animal Protection's Bred for Profit research indicated that around 5.5 billion animals are kept in wildlife farms across the world, often in appalling conditions, for entertainment or tourist attractions, for petting, or to be turned into ornaments, luxury food, fashion products or traditional medicine. The animal welfare organisation is working to bring an end to these practices.

In August, World Animal Protection launched a fundraising appeal to support this rescue mission. The funds raised will be used to provide food and veterinary care for the monkeys as they undergo their rehabilitation. To support this cause visit www.worldanimalprotection.org.au/dancingmonkeys

ENDS

Note to editors:
For more information, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, contact Hannah Clayton on +61 (0)434 269 048 or hclayton@worldanimalprotection.org.au

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About World Animal Protection
World Animal Protection is the global voice for animal welfare, with more than 70 years of experience campaigning for a world where animals live free from cruelty and suffering. Our work to protect animals will play a vital role in solving the climate emergency, the public health crisis, and the devastation of natural habitats.

About Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN)
JAAN has over a decade of experience combating "Topeng Monyet", having successfully shut down the infamous Madion dancing monkey village and rehabilitated over 130 ex-dancing monkeys to date. They have the expertise, government partnerships, and infrastructure to lead this operation effectively.