http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263907/Made-walk-stilts-entertain-tourists-baby-monkey-forced-perform-choked-chain-Indonesia.html
A tiny
monkey is walking on stilts, clad in a red tracksuit and a ghostly doll mask,
as cars and motorcycles drive past on a busy road in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Neneng, a
long-tailed macaque, is only nine months old but can already put on a show as
he plays a toy-guitar, walk on stilts and does a handstand in a red cowboy hat.
With a yank
of the chain around his neck, his master Iyayi changes the act to entice those
driving past to throw a coin or two at the performing primate, one of thousands
on the streets of Indonesia.
The practice
of training macaques to become street performers has been a part of the
country’s culture for decades.
It has been
growing in popularity since the 1980s when it changed from being part of
‘monkey circuses’ entertaining children in the poor neighbourhoods, to move to
markets and road-sides.
Their cruel
training methods include ‘the hanging monkey’ which is designed to wean the monkey
off walking on all fours.
The monkey
master chains the monkey to the ceiling and ties the monkey’s arms around its
back, forcing it to stand on two legs.
This goes on
for as long as it takes the monkey to find its balance on its hind legs, only
allowing a daily food break before it is strung up again.
Neneng’s
monkey master Iyayi bought him for 200,000 rupiah (£13) and spent then trained
for three months to perform a variety of tricks.
Neneng is
expected to make 50,000 rupiah (£3.20) to 70,000 rupiah (£4.50) per day for his
master.
The Jakarta
Animal Aid Network (JAAN), a charity that feeds rescued performing monkeys,
explains that the conditions in the slums is what keeps this practice going.
‘Poverty
drives the handlers to exploit the monkeys in the hope of earning small
change,’ the charity writes on its website.
'From the
forest they are captured and taken to 'monkey village', where the animals are
trained to take part in street performances.’ - Mail OnlineOh, the horrors we commit just to survive
The price we pay to be alive
Is the pain we inflict on innocents
Worthy of our miserable lives
Or are we simply plummeting down the rabbit hole
Speeding toward our demise?
When we kiss our baby good night
And look into their eyes
Do we see a life of joy ahead for them
Or only the continuation of our lies?
Is our comfort today
Worth the price our children will pay
Maybe even us some day?
When we meet our victims in the afterlife
Will we be able to say
Without reservation
I did everything I could
I treated you the way you would
I did everything I could
To prevent your suffering?
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