The audience of tourists applauds as the performing monkey rides his motorbike comically in a symmetrical circle; onlookers are dazzled by his ability to perform fearless wheelies along the gutter. The performer wears clothes fit for a human child, he smiles at them with a cheeky grin; but his smile is dashed by the aluminium chain that jerks violently around his fragile neck. This is Topeng Monyet.
Topeng Monyet is a Macaque monkey native to the jungles of Indonesia, kidnapped from his local habitat, brutally trained and forced to perform for locals and tourists. These monkeys are still on the urban fringes of Indonesia’s cities and dance in the tourist hubs of its islands because people gather for the theatrics and pay to view it. The Topeng Monyet suffers gravely because many people do not embrace the ideals of responsible tourism when they travel abroad.
Responsible tourism is featuring higher and higher on tourist brochures and in the minds of ethical traveller. Ethical tourism is on the rise but the issue of animal welfare in tourism is often overlooked. Animals are exploited as tourism entertainment and attractions in many developing nations are often supported by travellers hailing from the west. The demise of the urban performing monkey of Indonesia, known as Topeng Monyet, is a prevalent animal rights issue, not only exploited by those native to Indonesia but also by unethical travellers.
Such performances places enormous stress on these monkeys and often involve violent training techniques. It’s unnatural and demeaning for a wild animal to have to ‘perform’ for the sake of entertainment.
Responsibletravel.com is the worlds leading online travel agent dedicated to responsible holidays. Holly Foat, Policy and Web Content Manager at responsibletravel.com says that “Often the issues aren’t clear cut. Caged animals, dancing bears and elephants playing football are just the tip of the iceberg.” Foat screens all the new holidays that join the website to make sure they meet strict responsible tourism criteria. “By visiting sites where animals are stroked, cuddled, made to perform or pose for photos, travellers are inadvertently funding the mistreatment,” says Holly.
“Inadequate animal welfare also occurs under the guise of conservation from chained tigers at the Tiger Temple in Thailand to cuddling Pandas in China.” Responsibletravel.com works closely with the Born Free Foundation to raise awareness of the potential problems associated with animal attractions. “Sadly, it is the ignorance of the animal welfare issues which sustains these sub standard attractions,” says Holly. “Travellers need to be welfare savvy, boycott attractions with known poor welfare standards and report mistreatment to their tour operator and the Born Free Foundation.”
A prevalent issue is the Topeng Monyet, which translates to ‘masked monkey’, of Indonesia. The Topeng Monyet is a show performed by trained monkeys which have been taken from their natural habitat. The show can be found in various parts of Jakarta city, the capital of Indonesia and the surrounding islands of Bali and Lombok. It is a one animal circus performing door to door and although it is one of the most original forms of Indonesian entertainment it is one of the cruellest violations of animal rights.
Brett Hough, Lecturer in Anthropology and Indonesian Studies at Monash University says that the Topeng Monyet is “a long standing tradition through many parts of the Indonesian archipelago.”
“They (Indonesia) don’t have the kind of animal rights legislation that we do here in Australia,” says Mr Hough, “what tends to get more attention is the plight of the endangered species native to Indonesia such as the Orang-utans of Borneo and Kalimantan.”
Behind the comic theatrics, these macaques lead appalling lives. The handlers buy them when they are babies. Their sharpest teeth are usually removed before the training is begun. The monkeys are caged at night, kept in a small wooden box when transported, and chained as they perform .These urban performing macaques are the only primates in Indonesia that have no status under its animal protection laws. They are hunted, captured and traded at will, and can be bought for as little as 70,000 rupiah (around $8 AUD). The monkeys are trained brutally as they are hung upside down for days in a row to enable them to learn to stand on their hind legs and front arms.
The Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization established in January 2008 to help protect Indonesian wildlife and to improve the welfare of Jakarta’s domestic animals. Femke den Haas, co-founder of JAAN and Head of Wildlife Protection and Welfare opposes Topeng monyet, “as it’s not culturally based but has purely become a way for people to beg for money on the streets.”
“Topeng Monyet indeed started as a local cultural activity to amuse local children in a small area in Central Java, but at present it has been taken over completely by the beggar community,” says Femke.
Femke says that JAAN is currently working with the Indonesian Veterinary Department on a local regulation to forbid the use of the monkeys on the streets for many reasons. These reasons cover health, welfare and trade illegalities; “Long tailed macaques indeed have diseases transferable to humans and vice versa, they are potential rabies carriers and are kept under such poor, non - hygienic conditions allowing all pathogens to run free and become a true hazard.”
”Macaques are social primates, living in large groups in the wild. The confinement, training procedures and even the poor diet are a big attack towards their welfare,” says Femke, “Even though macaques are not protected in Indonesia, for the capturing of any wild animal a permit should be obtained from the National forestry department. The macaques used and trained to be become 'Topeng Monyet' are wild caught. The owners of the Topeng Monyet have no such permits.”
Femke adds that “Macaques in Indonesia face no protection today as they are still exported in their thousands for biomedical research and they are also captured from the wild to be mistreated for the Topeng Monyet phenomena. “Macaques might be the worst off of all primates in Indonesia, as they are exploited in such big numbers. In fact, Indonesia has an animal welfare law (known as KUHP Pasal 302) that could be used to end this cruelty; it’s just up to the government to take action as well.”
ProFauna Indonesia is another wildlife and forest protection organization in Indonesia. Butet Sitohang, International Communication Officer at ProFauna Indonesia says that, “Looking at the big picture, what happens (with the masked monkey) is the lack of awareness and knowledge both by the monkey owner and the spectators both locals and foreigners.”
“They don't know that monkeys are not toys and they are sentient beings. Especially in Indonesia, the long-tailed monkeys are not protected and the show is legal. So it is impossible to do law enforcement like what ProFauna always does for the protected animals,” says Butet.
“Education is the key point to the problem, but you know that Indonesia faces many problems and the animal problem is always less considered.”
The World Conservation Union, the world's biggest and most important conservation network, lists the long-tailed macaque as close to qualifying as a vulnerable species, with a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. The Topeng Monyet is not dying out as a form of entertainment although many non government organisations (NGO’s), focused on the protection and rights of animals, are attempting to address these issues. International Animal Rescue Indonesia helps the macaques by educating people in animal welfare and raising awareness of the dangers of keeping these animals as pets and the risk of diseases, as well as campaigning to win macaques some legal protection in Indonesia.
For 25 years, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has aimed to promote the concept of animal welfare in regions of the world where there are few, if any, measures to protect animals. Louise Fitzsimons, Media Manager at WSPA Australia says that “Cruelty, confinement, neglect and abuse means millions of animals worldwide pay a heavy price for tourist entertainment – many even pay with their lives. Tourist activities that involve the mistreatment of animals exist for one reason: tourists choose to support them.”
Other NGO’s aimed at combating such issues and raising awareness about tourism impact on the welfare of animals are People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Born Free. Born Free, an international wildlife charity working to prevent animal suffering and protect wildlife in the wild, have endeavoured to educate tourists of their impact. Their website insists that ‘When on holiday it’s important to consider the welfare of the animals and wildlife in the host country’. Born Free responds to travelers’ concerns about animal exploitation in captivity or in the wild: and encourages the public to alert Born Free of any wild animal welfare problems they may see on their travels both at home and abroad.
The WSPA Australia website says that ‘By making animal-friendly choices on your next trip you’ll become a compassionate traveller, and you’ll be helping to end the exploitation of animals for tourism around the world’.
Luckily ethical tourism is on the rise and education in the realm of animal welfare in tourism is becoming more widespread. Animals that are exploited as tourism entertainment and attractions in many developing nations should no longer be supported by travellers hailing from the west. Indonesia bound tourists that come across Topeng Monyet, will hopefully see past the theatrics and understand the gross violation of animal rights that is taking place. Responsible travel will aid in such atrocities fading out once and for all.
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