The Funkiest Monkeys

The Indonesian island of Sulawesi is home to the rare and endangered crested black macaque monkey, notable for its "punk"-looking tuft of hair on its head. A once remote and heavily forested location, Sulawesi is now crisscrossed by new roads and is home to an exploding human population. As a result, the macaques have dwindled by 90 percent in the last 25 years. In this PBS-aired Nature documentary, filmmaker Colin Stafford-Johnson returns after a long absence to document the monkey's decline on Sulawesi while also trying to educate and inspire the native population about the preservation of surviving members of the species. Macaques are intelligent and social animals who live in large family groups, spending their days searching for fruit (these "gardeners of the forest" help scatter seeds that enable the forest to regenerate) and grooming one another. A strict hierarchy exists among macaques, with strong competition for status among males. Unfortunately, the natives consider monkey meat to be a delicacy, and many animals fall victim to hunters and traps. Sadly, laws are rarely enforced, so the director films these animals, and then takes the show from village to village in order to encourage an appreciation for the need to preserve the endangered monkeys. While it remains to be seen if this strategy is effective, this passionate, timely documentary makes a strong argument for preservation. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)