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Macaca nigra
The crested-black macaques are endemic to the island of Sulawesi with a very limited distribution only to the northern arm of the island. The picture depicts an individual kept as a pet in the Siau Island which is about 70 miles away from its natural habitat in the mainland of Sulawesi. They are critically endangered (iucn.org).
The macaques live in a lowland forests of Sulawesi. The best place to see the animals in the wild is Tangkoko Reserve of North Sulawesi.
They are almost tailless that might have mislead the early adventurers to name them Sulawesi black apes. The healthiest population of M. nigra is found in Tangkoko Reserve. The reserve is also a home to tarsiers, 2 species of cuscuses, two species of hornbils, and the maleos.
Spotted on Nov 15, 2012
Submitted on Dec 7, 2012
4 Comments
Awesome! U should put it on the mission: Primate Watch!
The species is protected by Indonesian law. Traditional life of the locals makes it difficult to implement an effective law enforcement. Many programs are underway to raise awareness on the species e.g. Selamatkan Yaki (www.selamatkanyaki.com) and Macaca Nigra Program (www.macaca-nigra.org).
wow...a great and evocative photo. even tho they are endangered i guess they are not protected by indonesian law..or that it is not enforced. so sad to see them chained up..where i am (north sumatra) it is the much maligned long tailed macaques that suffer this fate.
Nice hairdo.