They may have doll faces, but the subjects behind these masks are alive. Victims suffering from abuse, humiliation and offense. They are the masked monkeys of Jakarta, Indonesia, forced to perform wearing masks and human clothing to raise money from the street crowd. But for some of them it is now possible to return to freedom.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Suffering victims of abuse, humiliation and offense. It's masked monkeys of Jakarta, in Indonesia, forced to perform wearing masks and human clothing to raise money from the street crowd. But for some of them it is now possible to return to freedom.
The municipal administration of the Indonesian capital stand for release a dozen former masked monkeys, saved last year and subjected to a hard and tiring recovery path. Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo he did know who would personally release the monkeys, most of which have been found suffering from tuberculosis and hepatitis.
The head of Jakarta's maritime affairs and agriculture agency, Ipih Ruyani, adds that as many as 67 of the 83 monkeys rescued from the road in 2013 will be released. They will be released on the islands of Tikus, Damar and Bokor as soon as conditions are good. The last 16 monkeys, on the other hand, are still receiving treatment for tuberculosis.
Now the authorities aim to the monkey shows masquerades, finally considered as a form of animal abuse. According to Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), most of the monkeys used for these shows were tortured to make them obedient.
They may have doll faces, but the subjects behind these masks are alive. In a series called 'A Kind of You'Finnish photographer Perttu Saksa documents the disturbing world of Jakarta's street monkeys, carried around with chain leashes and trained to walk on their hind legs, wear cowboy clothes and hats and ride a bike. Their status as slaves is made even more deplorable by those eerie humanoid faces.
"The modern culture of the city has transformed the ancient tradition into a mysterious and disturbing act of cruel street theater in which animals become something else, never able to reach our expectations", explains the photographer on his website.
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Roberta Ragni
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