International Animal Rescue’s team in Java has moved a group of macaques from the Tegal Alur rescue centre in Jakarta where they were being kept in deplorable conditions. The animals had been caught from the wild in Muara Angke to try to resolve the ongoing conflict between wild macaques and local people. Once captured, the animals were kept for months on end in very bad conditions. Some were still living in the small transport cages which is unbelievably cruel, particularly since they had come came straight from the wild.
After releasing 16 macaques back into the wild earlier in August, the quarantine enclosures in Ciapus were standing empty. Nine of the 10 cages could be used so the team went to Tegal Alur to select the first animals to take - the ones that were ill or seriously underweight, babies, and established groups). In total 15 macaques were selected to fill the nine quarantine enclosures. It took about 1,5 hours to catch them all. When they have been through quarantine, the team will return to collect the other macaques.
The rescue team also took 15 lorises from Tegal Alur. They were in very poor condition and when checked at the Ciapus centre were found to be only half of their normal bodyweight. IAR’s vets and carers are already feeding them a nutritious diet and supplements to restore them to health.
Alan Knight, Chief Executive of International Animal Rescue, said: “Catching and keeping wild animals in captivity is not a viable solution to human-animal conflict. There are alternative, humane ways of managing macaque populations - such as teaching local people to clear away waste food which attracts them and holding workshops to show local people how to coexist with the macaques. At a later stage we may be able to introduce endoscopic sterilisation which our team is already testing. At the same time, we will continue to come to the aid of captive primates such as these and return them to safe areas in the wild in due course if at all possible.”