Mini, a monkey who became famous on YouTube among those who enjoyed watching videos of her torture, recently took her first steps of true freedom as she ventured into the wilderness of her new home deep inside an Indonesian forest.
Mini, and her cagemate, Milo, spent two years at Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) sanctuary rehabilitating after Indonesian police confiscated the young primates from their abuser. Once they were ready for life outside of captivity, rescuers embarked on a journey to release them into the wild. Thanks to generous support from people like you, Lady Freethinker was able to help fund these monkeys’ care and release.
Mini and Milo in transport to wilderness
The brutal, underground world of baby monkey torture was first exposed by Lady Freethinker and UK organization Action for Primates in 2021, when a group formed on YouTube and soon moved to encrypted chat where Westerners would purchase custom videos of brutal abuse of infant macaques from video makers in Indonesia. Since then, multiple prosecutions have occurred in the US, UK, and Indonesia — including Mini’s captor, Ajis Rasajana.
Mini’s story was featured in the BBC’s investigative documentary “The Monkey Haters,” for which Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates provided information and intelligence.
Mini is safe now, but her story nearly had a tragic ending. Videos showed her tied up, hit, and tormented for the amusement of humans; her captor even suggested he could put her in a blender. When she was rescued by police, Mini was suffering from a fractured tail and broken baby teeth.
Fortunately, the resilient Mini made a remarkable recovery. Mini and Milo were joined earlier this month by more than 40 other macaques — rescued from lives as “dancing monkeys” forced to perform for human entertainment — who are now also free in the Indonesian forest.
“Seeing Mini take her first steps toward living in freedom is exhilarating and gives hope for the many young macaques forced into lives of abusive captivity,” said Lady Freethinker Founder and President Nina Jackel. “I’m incredibly grateful for the actions of Indonesian authorities who allowed her to escape misery and live as a monkey should, as well as to JAAN for the love and dedication they showed her and the other monkeys.”
Rehabilitated monkeys after release
“We are grateful we have been able to give Mini this second chance in life,” said JAAN Cofounder Femke den Haas. “Mini was very fragile, and extremely scared of everything and everyone around her when she just entered our rehabilitation center over two years ago. We are so happy to see her thrive now in the forests where she belongs with her new family.”
“It is wonderful that Mini and Milo, both rescued from the hands of torturers in Indonesia, can finally enjoy their new lives living freely in their rightful homes — the forests of Indonesia — safe from the torment and cruelty to which they were being subjected daily,” said Action for Primates Co-founder Sarah Kite. “While we celebrate their freedom, we must also remember the many other monkeys who never survived, and those who continue to be abused as ‘entertainment.’”
Sadly, horrific videos depicting baby monkey torture and other forms of animal cruelty continue to spread online on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Telegram. Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates are calling on social media companies to take action to stop animal abuse from proliferating on their sites. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to sign the petition calling on Facebook to remove animal torture from their platform.
