Rescuers have saved 31 "dancing monkeys" from abuse and mistreatment. The animals will finally have freedom. World Animal Protection partnered with Jakarta Animal Aid Network to save the 31 macaque monkeys from a training facility. It's one of the last ones in Indonesia. It's where people trained the animals to dance for money.
The World Animal Protection organization revealed abuse for the animals. They were chained and starved until they eventually learned to dance on command. They would then be made to perform and stand for hours. Living conditions included a small cage and chains. Thankfully, these 31 monkeys will soon be able to return to the e wild.
"These monkeys have endured one of the cruelest training regimes imaginable. After being stolen from their mothers as babies and tortured for months, their living nightmare is finally over," Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, the head of animal welfare and research at World Animal Protection, said in a statement.
"We look forward to the day when we can celebrate a nationwide ban on dancing monkeys. Macaques are wild animals that have the right to live in the wild. We're happy that together with our partners at Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), we can give these monkeys a second chance," Dr. Schmidt-Burbach added.
Monkeys Rescued
Rescuers freed the animals from the training facility. They have since moved the monkeys to a rehabilitation center. Caregivers will help the animals recover from the abuse that they've endured. There's hope that they will be able to return to the wild.
"They were terribly abused while being trained as a 'dancing monkey' and during the entertainment of tourists," Femke den Haas, CEO at Jakarta Animal Aid Network, said. "It is such an incredible relief to see the dark boxes, in which the monkeys were kept when they were not performing, finally opened. It is really heartwarming to know that their journey to freedom has started, and they will be able to connect to each other and other primates and live the life they truly deserve."
