Join a free virtual tour for International Macaque Week!
My colleague @Koh Jieh Long has been organizing some really interesting events on behalf of the Asia for Animals Macaque Coalition.These virtual tours will take place over the course of International Macaque Week. (May 1-7).
On May 2nd, you can join Femke den Haas, founder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network in Indonesia, on a tour of a rescue center where they rehabilitate hundreds of macaques formerly used as entertainers or pets. A representative of the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency will also be there to take part in a discussion about future plans for ensuring the protection of macaques in Indonesia.
On May 6th, primatologists Praneetha Monipi and Santanu Mahato will bring you on a tour of their research sites in Mysore and the Western Ghats, where you will spot bonnet macaques thriving in urban areas and lion-tailed macaques in their natural habitats. These tours will also be livestreamed for visitors to the Japan Monkey Center. JMC's Misato Hayashi will give a short presentation and lead a discussion on successful partnerships between zoo-based and field-based conservation practitioners.
These tours are free to attend and promise a fascinating glimpse into various macaque worlds. Have a look and sign up!
I started working with captive rescued monkeys in 1999 and went on to earn an MSc in Primate Conservation (Oxford Brookes University) and another in International Animal Welfare Ethics and Law (University of Edinburgh). I've worked for a number of animal welfare organizations, most recently the Animals Asia Foundation and the Asia for Animals Coalition. I've been trustee and director for Neotropical Primate Conservation since its establishment as a UK charity in 2007. I'm particularly interested in the way human and non-human primates relate to one another, and the intersection between conservation and animal welfare. I feel that it's important that these are treated as complimentary, rather than contradictory, concepts. At present I am exploring primate welfare in the context of human-macaque conflict mitigation strategies. Please feel free to contact me here to talk about this if it's of interest to you! I am originally from the US but have lived in the UK for many years.
