WATCH: What happened to Jakarta’s dancing monkeys (topeng monyet) after the practice was banned in 2013?

The cruel entertainment known as topeng monyet (literally masked monkey, in reference to the disturbing doll head masks they are often forced to wear) was not so long ago a common sight in Jakarta. Wearing chains around their necks and taught to do silly tricks, they often entertained small children who laughed at their antics.

But behind the masks, the monkeys suffered terrible abuse at the hands of their owners, who used incredibly inhumane training methods to teach them their tricks.

Fortunately, thanks in large part to a five-year campaign spearheaded by the Jakarta Animal Aid Foundation (JAAN), then Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo banned the practice in the capital back in 2013. The government rescued dozens of these monkeys and they’re now being rehabilitated so that they could eventually be returned to the wild.

Thanks to JAAN ‘s efforts, 62 of the monkey were released back into the wild in 2015.

Unfortunately, topeng monyet have only been banned in Jakarta and the practice continues in other parts of the country, including Bandung.

If you would like to support JAAN in their efforts to achieve a nationwide ban as well as rehabilitate former topeng monyet, you could consider donating to them through their “sponsor an ex-dancing monkey” program to help see these poor creatures returned to their rightful home.

 



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on