"Circuses commit violent acts against animals," Chief of JAAN Benvika said on Wednesday at the Animal and Fish Health Center of Jakartas Marine and Agriculture Department.
He pointed out that in order to train the monkeys to perform in the circus, the animals were kept on a leash and fed just once a day. Their training lasts for a month or two.
"The cage is small and unhygienic," he added.
Besides violating article 302 of the Criminal Code on animal welfare, "dancing" monkeys also disturb public order, according to city regulation No. 8 of 2007.
JAAN has planned a public campaign to promote the fact that monkeys were not domestic animals but belong in the forests, their natural habitat.
The Marine and Agriculture Department of Jakarta released eight such monkeys into the Cikepu Wildlife Reservation in West Java. They had been rescued in a raid last October, carried out under the instructions of Governor Joko Widodo.
Chief of Marine and Agriculture Department Darjamuni said that the rehabilitation had taken nearly a year as they had to pay attention to national and international regulations.
Furthermore, Benvika assured that all eight monkeys were healthy and had a 90 percent chance of surviving in their new home.
DKI Jakarta rescued 87 monkeys as a result of the raid, 13 of which were euthanized, nine died of natural causes and two were born in quarantine.
(T.SDP-86/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
