Jakarta Monkey Tour: The Topeng Monyet In Video And Photos

JAKARTA Monkey Tour, Topeng Monyet, is a film by Christophe Abegg. A long tailed macaque is dressed like a human and performs with various accessories.Writes Abegg:

Although the monkey is chained, it is well treated and belongs to a human family as is shown in the movie. A debate is going at the moment to decide whether this monkey shows are a form of animal abuse and should be prohibited or it should be tolerated as a tradition? Beside monkey shows, no one should forget that about 5000 macaques are exported legally every year for the international market of laboratory animals and several other thousands are caught to become mere pet macaques, with a high mortality rate… What activities are representing the most severe animal abuses toward these monkeys? Our world is full of animal abuses, but where should we start to end them?

We meet Saprol, a monkey who can ride a bike and depilate a leg. He works every day. He eats well. Saprol and his handler earn 20US$-30US$ a day. The money is split six ways.