Dancing monkeys rescued from Indonesia's last training centre

The monkeys have been transferred from their handlers in Cirebon and relocated to the JAAN rehabilitation centre in Cikole, West Java. Here, they will undergo a rehabilitation programme aimed at restoring their physical and mental health, with the hope of returning them to the wild.

These long-tailed macaques were taken from the wild at a young age and subjected to a cruel training regime designed to make them perform for money in front of shoppers and tourists. The inhumane training methods typically involve starvation, physical abuse, and confinement in tiny cages when not performing. Monkeys are often beaten, chained by their necks, and dressed in masks and doll outfits, being made to stand on two legs for hours on end, with the constant threat of choking.

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.”

He added, “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.”

Among the rescued monkeys are Jono and Monon, two long-tailed macaques. Femke den Haas, CEO of JAAN, shared their story:

“They were terribly abused while being trained as ‘dancing monkeys’ for 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.”

Following their rescue, the monkeys will undergo a two to three-month quarantine period to minimise disease transmission, during which they will receive veterinary examinations, including x-rays to check for gunshot wounds, a common occurrence for macaques poached from the wild.

As part of their rehabilitation, the monkeys will explore new diets and environments and learn essential skills such as climbing, foraging, and predator avoidance. JAAN is also dedicated to fostering social bonds between the rescued monkeys, aiming to release them together as a family to ensure they can socialise naturally.

The practice of using dancing monkeys for entertainment, known as Topeng Monyet in Indonesia, has faced criticism, and in 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment called for a ban on this practice, though it has yet to be implemented. With Cirebon being the last dancing village, further action is needed to eradicate this practice completely.

World Animal Protection is collaborating with JAAN to ensure this is the last generation of dancing monkeys. The Indonesian government and JAAN are also working to provide handlers with alternative livelihoods that do not involve harming animals, with many opting for selling toys, accessories, and food.

Long-tailed macaques are one of the most traded and exploited primates in Indonesia, facing threats from the entertainment, pet, and research industries. Years of exploitation have led to this species becoming endangered. World Animal Protection’s research has shown that around 5.5 billion animals are kept in wildlife farms worldwide, often in appalling conditions for entertainment or tourist attractions.