Monkey Freedom Project: Meet Jono
Blog
Jono was just 8 months old when his life as a performing monkey began. Forced to walk on stilts, ride a wooden bike, and push a wheelbarrow for entertainment, he spent most of his early life in chains.
Age: Approximately 6 years old
Rescue location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Time in captivity: Over 5 years
Jono was just 8 months old when his life as a performing monkey began. Forced to walk on stilts, ride a wooden bike, and push a wheelbarrow for entertainment, he spent most of his early life in chains. When he wasn’t performing on the streets, Jono was confined to a dark box or tethered to a pole - isolated, mistreated, and trained through fear.
Despite this harsh start, Jono has shown incredible resilience since arriving at the JAAN sanctuary. Calm, confident, and observant, he’s quickly adapted to his new surroundings and now spends his days quietly watching the world around him, enjoying every bite of his favourite foods - bananas, snake fruit, and sweet potato.
Jono’s medical needs, however, are serious. Years of abuse left him with clipped adult teeth, open wounds, and infections that have spread to his nasal passages and ear canal. He will require specialist dental surgery before he can safely join a social group or begin preparing for release. Until then, he’s receiving vitamin support, parasite treatment, and a varied, nutritious diet to help build his strength.
Though his resocialisation journey will begin a little later than the others, there’s great hope for Jono. He has the self-assured presence of a future leader and could one day become a key figure in his troop - if his health recovers and his interactions with others continue on the same steady, confident path.
Thanks to your support, Jono’s long road to freedom has begun - and with time, care, and healing, his best years are still ahead.
Image credits: Images are by Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN)