Lucie Čižmářová
The wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative sectors of illegal business, right after the trade in drugs, guns and humans. Moreover, in contrast to the other traffickers mentioned, in this case the smugglers, when caught, very often manage to escape without punishment or with very little punishment. With such a low risk of being caught and astronomical earnings, it is no wonder that this business is still flourishing.
I observe animal markets in Indonesia under the organization The Kukang Rescue Program, which is mainly concerned with the protection of slow loris in Sumatra. So every year I go to one of the largest and most famous animal markets, namely in Jakarta. Here you will find many species of birds, as well as mammals. However, you will not normally see endangered and protected species of mammals on the streets anymore. The trade in these species has moved to the internet, where it is safer for smugglers. However, the only primates you will commonly see here are macaques. In Indonesia, they fall under a quota system, which is difficult to control. And so these intelligent animals, which normally live in large families, are kept in isolation in small cages on chains. They are mostly cubs whose mothers have been killed. They are often bleached with hair dye to make them more attractive to buyers as “white” animals. So for about 80 euro you can buy a small dressed macaque.
