Macaques Abused on Moroccan Square
Report by Regis Rodriguez
Mr. Rodriguez conducted this investigation with financial assistance
from IPPL.
Barbary macaques are to be seen with their captors at the Djemaa el-Fna
Square in Marrakech, Morocco, from 1 p.m. However they usually do not arrive
until about 3 or 4 p.m., during the hottest hours of the day the temperature
in Marrakech rises to more than 40 degrees centigrade (104 fahrenheit)
on the square, which is devoid of trees.
A long day's work awaits the unfortunate macaques that does not end
until between midnight and 2 a.m.
There are two groups working the macaques on the square. They walk among
the visitors in the square. Visitors are scarce in the heat of the afternoon,
but the square becomes very crowded after 6 p.m.
Each man firmly holds the chain attached to the collar around the neck
of a macaque in one hand, and often he holds a stick in the other hand
which he uses to force the animal to perform ridiculous circus tricks which
the monkey often does not want to do.
The performance consists of the monkeys turning a few somersaults, obeying
commands to "Sit" or "Stand up", eating a peanut held in the mouth of the
trainer, and climbing onto the shoulders of tourists.
Anyone who stops or even looks at the performance for more than a few
seconds is automatically detained and the trainer insists on payment! For
a large number of tourists, being photographed in the company of a Barbary
macaque appears to be a not-to-be-missed souvenir of Marrakech
and money regularly goes into the photographers' pockets.
During the afternoon, the macaques are allowed several rest periods
because of the extreme heat and the searing temperature of the ground.
But during the evening their activity and resultant stress are continuous.
It is easy for anyone who understands the normal behavior of primates to
recognize the fear, the nervousness and the stress revealed on their faces.
On one of the stalls, four barbary macaques and a young baboon, a male
about 1 year old, are kept. The baboon is already very disturbed by his
capture and mistreatment and he is often kept attached to his cage by a
chain, only 50 centimeters (20 inches) long.
Very aggressive, he pulls violently on his chain and in another few
months it will be very difficult for the men to make him participate in
their performances.
The four Barbary macaques are all females, aged 1, 5 and 9 years, and
an orphaned baby of about 3 months. The two oldest are visibly very tired.
One of them is losing her fur in patches and appears to have suffered ill-treatment. The baby was reportedly captured in the Gorges d'Ouzoud where the wild macaques live. She was offered to me for approximately 1500 French francs (257 US dollars).
Very perturbed and traumatized by the brutal separation from her mother,
and clearly very nervous and frightened, this little female kept falling
and almost strangling herself with the chain to which she was not yet accustomed. Following such trauma at that young age it is doubtful that she will survive the next few months to reach her first birthday.
On the second stall, three or four females, a few years older, are forced
to carry out the same daily work enticing tourists to pay to watch them,
or be photographed with them.
Apparently, Marrakech is the only large town in Morocco where this disgusting trade is carried on. I did not see any macaques being used in any of the other cities on the tourist circuit.
However, other animals are not spared. The same procedure is followed
with snakes. They are under permanent stress. They are continuously provoked
by their owners. A cobra holding its head up in a defensive position is
an attraction to tourists. A hundred or even two hundred times a day the
cobras take that characteristic position.
On close inspection it is possible to detect that some of the snakes,
those probably more dangerous than the cobras, have been mutilated a few
centimeters behind their heads, either to prevent them biting, or to prevent
them escaping into the crowd.
In the bazaars, particularly in the places where herbs and spices are
sold, a lot of small reptiles, squirrels and birds can be found, at ridiculously low prices. For example:
Iguanas: 50 dirhams (5 US dollars)
Chameleons: 2030 dirhams (23 US dollars)
Herman and Greek tortoises: 30 dirhams (3 USdollars)
Squirrels: 200 dirhams (20 US dollars)
Birds of prey (falcons): 2000 dirhams (200 US dollars)
I was unable to identify the numerous birds for sale in some of the
small shops. I could only recognize parrots, crossbills and canaries. A
large number of remedies (so-called) concocted from animal parts (hedgehog,
jackals, birds of prey, and all sorts of reptiles), together with the pelts
of panthers, foxes, genets, etc. were also on sale in apothecaries.
It is evident that animals in Morocco are more often than not treated
as objects or creatures to serve man. Mules and donkeys, often thin, beaten,
and crushed beneath enormous loads and domestic animals like sheep and
goats, chickens and rabbits, suffer daily abuse but their suffering
goes unnoticed.
In all the many towns and villages I visited, I was able to see that
all animals were treated in a similar callous manner.
PLEASE CONTACT MOROCCAN TOURIST OFFICES
The Barbary macaque is a highly endangered species found only in North
Africa, including Morocco, and Gibraltar. These monkeys should be protected
from capture and should not be exploited in entertaiment. Barbary macaques
belong in the wild (and so do baboons which are not native to Morocco).
We believe that expressions of concern from potential tourists would
help end this abuse. Please send letters to one of the following offices:
Moroccan National Tourist Office
20 East 46th Street
New York NY 10017, USA
Moroccan National Tourist Office
205 Regent Street
London W1R 7DE, England
Also please send a protest to the Moroccan Minister of the Environment
expressing your concern at exploitation of one of Morocco's most endangered
species. Letters from the US to Morocco cost 60 cents per half-ounce,
$1 per ounce.
The Minister of the Environment
Ministry of the Environment
Rabat, Morocco
