Behind the mask
Despite being illegal, many macaques are caught in the wild to be sold in animal markets in Indonesia. Paradoxically, once in the market, selling a macaque is a completely legal activity. In order to obtain babies many mothers and males must be killed when they try to protect youngers. The babies macaques can spend weeks or even months living in narrow boxes in the markets. During the time they spend there they live in awful conditions. Each macaque is sold for less than 15 euros. Some of these macaques, the most fortunate, end living as a pets. When they reach maturity, they can show aggressive behaviours. Because of that, most of them spend their whole live jailed inside narrow cages. In some cases they are sacrificed or abandoned or their teeth are amputated to prevent bites. Often this practice is carried out without any type of sanitary control or anaesthesia.
The ones that aren’t destined to be pets are sold for the Topeng Monyet practices (which literally means monkey with mask). It consists of the use of trained macaques in street shows. These animals lead a frightening and lonely life, deprived from social life that as primates very much need. They suffer harsh and long training sessions to learn the tricks that will entertain pedestrians and, hopefully, will report some money to trainers.
However, behind the cruelty of the practice, there is a much more complex reality that concerns not only a generation of middle-class Indonesians who find entertainment in these practices but a few trainers that have found in the Topeng Monyet an economic refuge and a way to improve their personal situation. This tough reality is a reflection of the level of poverty that some Indonesians face in their everyday life.
There is an organisation known as JAAN (Jakarta Animal Aid Network) that works to avoid these practices. After spending a long time working both at street and at a political level, they got to ban these activities. Now, slowly, a new job is being offered to the trainers and most of the macaques are being confiscated and brought to a rehabilitation centre to start their way to their reintroduction.
