After a socialization process, rescued monkeys are released into a safe, forested habitat where people are not allowed to enter. Staff first house the monkeys in a cage to allow them to get used to their surroundings. They provide food and water and monitor the monkeys for a month prior to their release.
Mona, a female macaque rescued from horrific abuse. Photo Credit Jakarta
Animal Aid Network
Update: As of Feb. 5, the Abang Satwa channel was offline. “We assume that
the person has done that himself, as there is no notification from YouTube
to say that the channel has been terminated,” Action for Primates noted.
Original Story:
Indonesian authorities recently confiscated three macaque monkeys, who were
kept chained in tiny cages and routinely tortured for YouTube videos, and
handed them over to a wildlife nonprofit for rehabilitation.
Boris and the tiny Mona, long-tailed macaques, and Boim, a southern
pigtailed macaque, lived in constant terror and endured brutal trauma at the
hands of their “caretaker,” identified by authorities as Rian Mardiansyah.
Mardiansyah set off firecrackers near the animals, sprayed them with jets of
water, rubbed chilli and glue into their food, and encouraged them to fight
each other for treats. He then posted the videos to YouTube and solicited
donations through his PayPal account.
Indonesian authorities arrived at Mardiansyah’s house in Jagakarsa, in
Southern Jarkarta, after a foreigner lodged a complaint about the abuse with
Jakarta’s governor on behalf of the nonprofit Action for Primates and their
veterinarian advisor, Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci.
They confiscated the three monkeys, told Mardiansyah not to repeat his
actions, and made him delete 100 of his animal cruelty videos from YouTube.
The three monkeys, who are clearly traumatized, are now on the long road to
rehabilitation at a sanctuary run by the animal nonprofit Jakarta Animal Aid
Network (JAAN).
Sarah Kite, the co-founder of the nonprofit Action for Primates, applauded
the actions of the Indonesian authorities and governor.
“Basically, these monkeys were being tortured, and footage of that torture
and their suffering was filmed and broadcast on YouTube,” Kite said. “Such
behavior should not be tolerated, and we are very encouraged that the
Indonesian authorities responded in the way they did.”
Meanwhile, the cruel channel remains active on Youtube, despite numerous
reports to the Google-owned platform that the content violates YouTube’s
animal abuse and community standards.
“The supporting comments posted by viewers, with suggestions for further
cruel things that could be done to the monkeys, was particularly
disturbing,” Kite said.
A Google spokesperson told Lady Freethinker that content had been removed
from the site for violating its standards, but the site was allowed to
remain online since it had not received three “strikes” per the company’s
policy.
Boim, a male macaque monkey rescued from horrific abuse. Photo Credit:
Jakarta Animal Aid Network
Rehabilitation of Monkey's Exploited for Live 'Entertainment'
The three macaques now are in quarantine at JAAN’s sanctuary, said JAAN
Founder Femke Den Haas.
During quarantine, new arrivals undergo blood tests for parasites and
diseases like tuberculosis and also receive veterinary checkups. The
quarantine period allows monkeys to acclimate to their new surroundings,
while also giving staff a chance to learn about the monkeys’ personalities
and needs. br />
Den Haas said that Boris, Boim, and Mona are safe— but also scared,
skittish, and clearly traumatized.
“We clearly see they were teased and mistreated in a strange way,” Den Haas
said. “Mona is the smallest and most scared of the three monkeys… [she]
tries to hide when we approach her cage. Boris is shy too and so is Boim,
but Mona really is the most scared.”
Macaque monkeys become more aggressive and quick-tempered as they mature.
Den Haas noted that older monkeys at the sanctuary often show an initial
fear of humans from having been hurt or teased by their caretakers. But
infant and young monkeys formerly kept as pets and familiarized with people
don’t initially show that fear, she added.
The fact that the young Boris, Boim, and Mona are actively trying to avoid
contact with people shows the depths of their trauma, she said.
Once they receive clean bills of health, the three monkeys will move to
JAAN’s rehabilitation center in the mountain area in west Java, which has
six socialization cages and enclosures for monkeys already living in family
groups.
During the lengthy socialization process, staff monitor how the monkeys do
when introduced to others. They allow them to form family groups of about 20
members. Then, it’s time for release.
JAAN has an existing agreement with the government to release rescued
monkeys into a safe, forested habitat where people are not allowed to enter.
Staff first house the monkeys in a cage to allow them to get used to their
surroundings. They provide food and water and monitor the monkeys for a
month prior to their release.
Staff also recheck the location after the release to ensure the animals are
doing okay.
“Releasing the monkeys takes time,” Den Haas said. “These monkeys have been
so abused. They need to gain back their confidence. We need to help them
gain that confidence back and leave their trauma and bad past behind.”
The rehab center is currently recuperating 72 macaque monkeys, mostly
ex-dancing monkeys rescued after Indonesia banned the cruel form of
entertainment, Den Haas said.
Boris, a male macaque monkey rescued from horrific abuse. Photo Credit:
Jakarta Animal Aid Network
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