Images courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
In a major victory for animal welfare, 31 macaque monkeys have been rescued from Indonesia’s last remaining ‘monkey dance training village’ by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), with support from World Animal Protection. The rescued troupe, formerly used in cruel street performances, has been relocated from Cirebon to the JAAN rehabilitation center in Cikole, West Java.
These long-tailed macaques, some as young as eight months old, were horrifically torn from the wild and subjected to months of brutal training designed to force them to dance for money in front of tourists and shoppers.
The abusive training process involved starvation, beatings, and chaining the monkeys by their necks. Forced to wear masks and doll outfits, the animals were made to stand on two legs for hours at a time under the constant threat of choking. When not performing, the monkeys were confined to small, single cages, deprived of adequate space and care.
“These monkeys have endured one of the cruelest training regimes imaginable. After being stolen from their mothers as babies and tortured for months, their living nightmare is finally over,” said Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, Head of Animal Welfare and Research at World Animal Protection.
The monkeys will now undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation program aimed at restoring their physical and mental health, with the long-term goal of reintroducing them to the wild, if possible. This process will take time, as the animals have been severely traumatized, but experts are optimistic about their recovery.
“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,” continued Dr. Schmidt-Burbach. “Macaques are wild animals who have the right to live a wild life. We’re happy that together with our partners at JAAN, we can give these monkeys a second chance.”
“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,” said Femke den Haas, CEO of JAAN. “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 that these 31 monkeys have thankfully been rescued, each of them will be 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-rays to detect gunshot wounds. This is necessary because macaques are often shot when poached from the wild, typically with air rifles that use small bullets designed to wound rather than kill.
As part of their rehabilitation, the rescued monkeys will explore new diets and environments, while also developing essential skills such as climbing, foraging, and predator avoidance. JAAN is also committed to fostering new social bonds among the rescued monkeys, with the aim of releasing them together as a family group, enabling them to socialize as they would in the wild.
The practice of using 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 issued a ban on the use of dancing monkeys, but this has yet to be fully enforced. While Cirebon is the last known dancing village, more action is needed to completely eradicate the practice across the country.
World Animal Protection is collaborating with JAAN to ensure that this is the last generation of dancing monkeys. The Indonesian government and JAAN are helping the handlers transition to alternative livelihoods that don’t involve exploiting animals. Many handlers have chosen new paths, such as selling toys, accessories, and food.
Long-tailed macaques are one of the most traded and exploited primates in Indonesia. Due to their intelligence and social nature, this species has tragically become a target for the entertainment, pet, and research industries. Years of exploitation have led to the species becoming endangered.
World Animal Protection’s “Bred for Profit” research indicates that around 5.5 billion animals are kept in wildlife farms across the globe, often in appalling conditions, for use in entertainment, petting attractions, or to be turned into ornaments, luxury food, fashion products, or traditional medicine.
