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Govt office transfers two macaques in hope they'll return to the wild
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A macaque before being transferred to North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) on Sept. 21. (JP/Lita Aruperes)
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wo domesticated female macaques aged about three years old were sent to the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) by another government office in hope the BKSDA could eventually release the macaques into the wild.
North Sulawesi BKSDA head Sudiyono said he had yet to identify the species of the macaques. “But their ages seem to be about three years old. The macaque population is declining, therefore, I hope those who keep [them as pets] can hand them in to the proper authorities like the BKSDA,” he said Wednesday.
Sudiyono said they got the monkeys from the Cultural Preservation Agency (BPNB) in North Sulawesi. He said the head of the BPNB received the macaques during a working visit in Bolaang Mongondow. “They probably didn’t know the procedures so they [the BPNB] only handed over the macaques today,” he said.
The macaques had been fed human food like Kentucky Fried Chicken, chocolate and cow’s milk, which were unhealthy for them, Sudiyono went on.
He said data in 2010 showed that macaques in North Sulawesi were only numbering about 5,000. “About 2,000 are in the forests. For [the macaque species] Macaca nigra they are found in North Sulawesi and Macaca nigrisen inhabit Bolaang Mongondow,” he said.
Magdalena Sumaraw from the BPNB said the macaques were given to her boss by locals. “We know it is a protected species but we didn’t want to offend the people who gave them [to us],” she said.
The BKSDA would rehabilitate the macaques in the hope they could be returned to the wild. (evi)
