The Cruel Exploitation of Monkeys in Indonesia
Disturbing footage has exposed the harsh treatment of monkeys in Indonesia, where they are forced to perform painful tricks for tourists. These animals endure a range of cruel activities, including walking on stilts, riding toy motorbikes, and dancing in front of crowds while chained around their necks. The suffering is evident in the videos, which show the monkeys struggling under the weight of their tasks.
In one clip, a monkey falls from a miniature motorbike and attempts to flee before being dragged back by a chain around its neck, forcing it to climb on again. Another video captures a monkey staggering on stilts, visibly distressed. At one point, the animal leans backward, trying to resist as its trainer pulls it forward. Later, the monkey is given a hat, which it instinctively places on its head—a trick it has likely been forced to repeat many times.
Even when not performing, the monkeys are often chained to metal poles or kept in cramped, dark boxes. This treatment highlights the deep-rooted cruelty behind the entertainment industry that exploits these animals.
Rescue and Rehabilitation
Last month, 46 monkeys rescued from the training centre in Cirebon in 2024 were released back into the wild after spending 18 months at JAAN’s rehabilitation site. During this time, they received medical treatment and were taught survival skills. Among them were seven-year-old Jono and three-year-old Unyil.
Jono had been forced to walk on stilts, one of the most painful and difficult tricks for macaques, as well as ride bikes and push a wooden barrel. His teeth had been clipped, leading to severe dental problems and an infection that spread to his nasal passage and ear canal. Researchers noted that Jono was initially calm and quietly followed them with his eyes after arriving at the rehabilitation centre. He quickly developed a love for food, especially bananas and mangoes, and would eat every last bite.
Unyil was stolen from his mother as a baby and witnessed her being killed during his capture. He was then forced into captivity, where he was made to stand upright, wear clothes, hold a bucket to beg for money, and perform degrading tricks, including walking on stilts, playing dead, and assuming prayer positions. After 14 months of forced performances, Unyil arrived at the rehabilitation centre underweight and terrified. He would scream whenever he saw people and was too frightened to interact with other monkeys.
However, rescuers said he has since become a social and mischievous macaque who enjoys sweet fruits, especially watermelon. Footage shows the pair taking their first steps into freedom on the protected Indonesian island of Nasu Burang.
A New Beginning
Jono showed great confidence and disappeared into the dense forest moments after his transport crate was opened—something rescuers said suggested he could become an alpha male in his new group. Unyil was more hesitant, carefully inspecting his surroundings before climbing into the forest and taking one last look back at his rescuers.
The pair were later seen settling into their new environment, with Jono relaxing alongside other monkeys while Unyil ate fruit he had found in the jungle. The monkeys were released on the protected Indonesian island of Nasu Burang, 38km off the coast of Java.
Managed in partnership with the Indonesian government, the island is covered in tropical forest and mangroves and has no human settlements, making it an ideal habitat. They were first placed in a temporary habituation enclosure—a large netted natural area designed to help them gradually adapt to life in the wild.
Researchers from JAAN continue to monitor them to ensure they can successfully find food before giving them access to the rest of the island. Transporting the macaques to the remote forest was a major logistical challenge. Animal rescuers first ferried them to the island by small boat before carrying crates containing the monkeys on their backs during a gruelling four-kilometre trek through dense tropical forest.
The Ongoing Fight Against Exploitation
The Cirebon centre was Indonesia’s last remaining dancing monkey training facility and was dismantled with support from local authorities. However, campaigners warned that the exploitation of monkeys for entertainment remains widespread.
Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, Director of Wildlife Research and Veterinary Expertise at World Animal Protection, said: “Jono and Unyil will finally be able to live their lives where they belong, in the wild, with their new family. Our partners Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) and local authorities have made great progress in stamping out the dancing monkey trade across much of Indonesia over the last 15 years. Sadly, macaques continue to be widely exploited for tourism. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate a nationwide ban on dancing monkeys.”
