Earlier this year, we shared the heartbreaking story of 13 baby macaques who were torn from their mothers after poachers killed them in the forests of Sumatra. Just weeks old, the babies were found crammed inside a barren box as they were trafficked towards a harbor. Tragically, one was too weak to survive. The 12 surviving babies were taken into the care of our partners at Jakarta Animal Aid Network Wildlife, where emergency funding from Lady Freethinker helped provide the intensive care and rehabilitation they desperately needed.
But rescuing these babies was only the beginning. Their case is part of a much bigger fight to stop the cruel trade in macaques. Lady Freethinker, JAAN Wildlife, and our friends at Animal Lawyer Indonesia took the case to the authorities and called for action against those involved. At the same time, we continue pushing for macaques to be legally protected in Indonesia, a vital step toward preventing more of these animals from being stolen from the wild.
After months of work, an encouraging development has emerged in the fight for justice.
Following ongoing investigations and advocacy, East Java Regional Police (POLDA Jatim) issued an official warning letter this month to “Monkey Mafia,” an online account linked to the macaque trade and this case. The TikTok account, which advertised macaques for sale, has since been closed, a significant step toward disrupting the trade and sending a clear message that the exploitation of macaques will not go ignored.
But while this is important progress, much more is needed to protect macaques from the wildlife trade.
We will continue monitoring the situation, as those involved may reappear online under different names, and tackling individual sellers and accounts can only go so far while a fundamental problem remains: Macaques still lack crucial legal protection in Indonesia.
Because macaques are not legally protected wildlife in Indonesia, securing meaningful action from the authorities when they are captured and traded is extremely difficult, leaving countless animals vulnerable to exploitation.
The enormous number of macaques still needing rescue and rehabilitation shows how urgently stronger protections are needed.
Courtesy of Jakarta Animal Aid Network
Yet amid this crisis, hope remains.
The JAAN Wildlife team plans to return 43 rehabilitated macaques to the wild, an incredible milestone for the animals and a testament to the dedication of JAAN Wildlife’s rescue and rehabilitation team.
For the rescued baby macaques, the road ahead is still long. Rehabilitation takes time, especially for babies taken from their mothers and the wild at such a young age. Without their mothers and families, they miss out on the care and vital skills they would normally receive and learn as they grow up in the forest.
JAAN Wildlife’s dedicated team continues to provide the babies with the intensive care and support they need to grow stronger, develop natural behaviors, and learn the skills they need to survive on their own. We hope that one day, when they are ready, they too will have the chance to return to the forests where they belong.
But even as some macaques make their way back to the wild, many more remain in care – and others are still waiting to be rescued.
And rescue alone cannot solve this crisis.
That is why Lady Freethinker, JAAN Wildlife, and ALI continue to push for stronger legal protection for macaques in Indonesia: Changing their legal status would give authorities more power to stop macaques from being captured, sold, and traded.
Together, we will keep fighting for a future where macaques are protected from exploitation and free to live in the forests where they belong.
