International Macaque Week 2025: Connecting Across Borders in India, Indonesia, Japan and beyond (Part 1)

How Students in Indonesia and India Learned to Care for Macaques, Together

On May 2, 2025, the second day of International Macaque Week (IMW), students from two very different worlds came together in a virtual educational exchange. Forty students from SDN Girimulyo in Indonesia and twenty students from Indic International School in India joined forces to learn about macaques, their lives, their challenges, and why we should treat them with kindness.

Why This Exchange Matters

SDN Girimulyo sits in a karst region of Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, an area where long-tailed macaques are part of the natural landscape. However, with growing development and agricultural activity, encounters between people and macaques are becoming more frequent, sometimes leading to conflict. For these students, macaques are not just animals in a book; they are neighbors. Meanwhile, students in India also live alongside macaques - bonnet macaques, in this case - and face similar challenges. This exchange gave both groups a chance to share stories, learn from each other, and build a shared understanding of how to live peacefully with wildlife.

Long-tailed macaques are native to Indonesia but face growing challenges as human activity increases in their habitat.

Learning from Stories and Shared Experiences

Before the main exchange, students at Indic International School joined a special pre-exchange lesson facilitated by the AfA Member Organization STRAW India. This session was designed to deepen their understanding of macaques in India, including species such as the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), which are commonly found across urban and rural landscapes.

One of the key learning materials used was a beautifully written and illustrated storybook titled “Baby Monkey in the City of Giants”. This fictional tale follows a young macaque trying to survive in a bustling city filled with towering buildings and busy humans. Through the story, students learned about the real-life challenges that urban macaques face, like loss of habitat, negative interactions with people, and lack of food. Students were encouraged to think about how human behavior affects wild animals.

On the Indonesian side, in collaboration with the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), students explored the many macaque species in their country using printed materials. Working in teams, they discussed questions like:

• What is a macaque?

• What do macaques eat?

• Why shouldn’t macaques be kept as pets?

• How should we act if we see a macaque?

  
  

They then prepared presentations to share their insights with the Indian students.

The Virtual Meeting: Sharing Culture and Compassion

During the live session, Indonesian students bravely presented their group findings, even though some felt shy speaking in front of others. To help, they took turns sharing one microphone, and facilitators translated key points for clarity.

Indian students followed with their well-prepared PowerPoint presentation, clearly explaining macaque facts and reflecting on what they had learned about Indonesian macaques. Both groups discovered how macaques in different countries may look different but face very similar threats, including habitat loss and conflicts with people.

Changing Perceptions for a Kinder Future

Before these lessons, many Indonesian students saw macaques near their homes, often feeding them or trying to take photos. But by the end of the sessions, their attitudes had shifted:

• No one wanted to watch stressful topeng monyet (dancing monkey) performances anymore.

• Students understood that macaques want to live peacefully with their families.

• They learned the importance of staying calm, keeping a distance (about 7 meters), and not feeding or running from macaques.

  
  

This change in mindset is a big step toward better coexistence.

A Hopeful Step Toward Wildlife Harmony

There were challenges on the day of the event, including shy students and audio difficulties during the live meeting. Nevertheless, the exchange was a success: students were engaged, teamwork was strong, and many enjoyed hands-on printed materials.

This event was more than just a school activity; it was a bridge between young minds across countries, united by a shared respect for nature. Teaching children in areas affected by human-wildlife conflict about empathy and safe behavior helps build a future where humans and macaques can live side by side peacefully.

We are grateful to the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) and STRAW India for supporting this exchange, and to all the students who joined with open hearts and curious minds.

Read on Part Two - "Virtually Touring Macaque Habitats: Respect and Coexistence Everywhere".