An animal rights organization is urging Indonesian authorities to intervene in the case of a “serious wildlife crime” in the ongoing sales of baby primates at Satria Bird Market in Denpasar.
Long-tailed macaques brought in from Sumatra island are openly sold monthly at Satria, according to the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN).
“In Bali, we see a large number of primates openly sold on the Satria Market,” JAAN wrote in a statement. “All our reports to the authorities requesting intervention remain un-responded.”
The organization said many tourists and visitors end up buying the monkeys out of pity, but most don’t know what to do with them afterwards. JAAN added that though long-tailed macaques are recognized as a “vulnerable” species internationally, they have yet to receive protection in Indonesia.
Selling baby primates in these types of markets, JAAN explained, is a violation of existing Indonesian regulations, including Article 302 on animal abuse under the Criminal Code (KUHP) and the 2019 Law on Farming and Animal Health.
In the last two months, JAAN said Indonesian authorities confiscated 36 baby primates that were en route to being shipped to Java and Bali, which illustrates “how big the problem is.”
“This cruelty has to stop and we request a serious intervention of the Bali government to protect primates and Indonesian wildlife [sic],” JAAN wrote.
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