Monkey hate
Monkey hate is a form of zoosadism where humans have a hatred for monkeys and take pleasure in their suffering.[1] The phenomenon drew public attention after a global monkey torture ring was uncovered by the BBC in 2023.[2]
Baby macaque monkeys are primarily targeted, and are often referred to by monkey haters as "tree rats".[2][3]
Occurrence and arrests[edit]
Videos of monkeys being tortured or abused have been commonly uploaded to social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.[1][4] According to a September 2021–May 2023 study by Asia for Animals’ Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), videos by pet macaque owners had a total of 12 billion views online, with 12 percent of these videos involving physical torture, and 13 percent involving psychological abuse.[4][5] Video titles have often contained broken English phrases such as "million pity" and "million sadness".[6]
In 2021, a United States-based Telegram monkey torture group, Million Tears, was closed down after being brought to public attention.[4][7] The group had about thirty members, who would pay owners of monkeys to carry out abuse on them.[8] In 2023, a continuation of the group, Ape's Cage, which involved around four hundred members, was uncovered by the BBC.[2] Video operators who carried out the monkey torture were primarily based in Indonesia, while the members of the group were largely American and from other Western countries.[2] Torture methods ranged from submerging monkeys in ice water to killing them in blenders, sawing them in half, or cutting off their tails and limbs.[2][3][9]
Several notable members of Ape's Cage have been arrested, including American Michael McCartney (known as "Torture King")[10] and two British women, Holly LeGresley and Adriana Orme.[11][12] Two Indonesian men also received prison sentences for their involvement.[13] "Mr. Ape", the pseudonymous leader of the group, has not been publicly identified.[2]
Animal welfare organizations such as Action for Primates and Lady Freethinker have been involved in investigating monkey hate groups.[8]
Causes[edit]
In countries where macaques are native, negative interactions between humans and wild macaques have increased as humans take over monkey habitats, resulting in macaques being considered pests and targeted for abuse.[9]
Dave Guptar, who helped investigate Ape's Cage, has stated that since baby monkeys mimic certain childlike behaviors and characteristics, many monkey haters are sexual sadists who use baby monkeys as a proxy for children.[14]
Some monkey haters have claimed that their hatred comes from monkeys falling into the uncanny valley,[15] a phenomenon where something that looks almost human but is different in subtle ways triggers revulsion.[16]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Messamore, W. E. (2020-02-29). "YouTube Has a Vile Monkey Torture Community That Needs Nuking". CCN.com. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c d e f Ajengrastri, Astudestra; Gunter, Joel; Henschke, Rebecca (2023-06-19). "Hunting the monkey torturers". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b Freethinker, Lady (2021-08-06). "YouTube 'Monkey Haters' Form Private Group Where Members Are Paying to Have Baby Monkeys Tortured and Killed on Camera". Lady Freethinker. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c Dalton, Jane (2023-09-21). "Social media users abusing monkeys in sickening videos for money and hits". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "The Cruelty You Don't See: The suffering of pet macaques for social media content". World Animal Protection. 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Ajengrastri, Astudestra; Gunter, Joel; Henschke, Rebecca (2023-06-19). "Video penyiksaan monyet: Investigasi BBC bongkar komunitas pembenci monyet internasional yang memesan video penyiksaan ke orang-orang di Indonesia". BBC News Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Geiger, Gabriel (2021-08-13). "People Buy Custom Baby Monkey Torture Videos on World's Worst Forum". VICE. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b Bancroft, Holly (2021-08-11). "Baby monkeys tortured and killed in videos posted on US-based chat group". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b "The cruelty you don't see: The suffering of pet macaques for social media content" (PDF). SMACC. p. 53-55. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ Gunter, Joel; Henschke, Rebecca (2024-04-03). "Ringleader of global monkey torture network, 'The Torture King', is charged". BBC Home. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Lawson, Eleanor; Henschke, Joel Gunter & Rebecca (2024-05-07). "Kidderminster woman pleads guilty to role in monkey torture network". BBC Home. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Carter, Sarah (2023-06-20). "Monkey torture video ring with suspects and customers in U.S. exposed by BBC investigation". CBS News. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ Odeen-Isbister, Sara (2023-06-20). "Global monkey torture ring paying people to abuse animals uncovered". Metro. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Wallace, Kimberly (2023-07-20). "Exposing the world of monkey torture". Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Boilard, Meghan (2022-09-14). "The Business of Torture". Off-Topic by Meghan Boilard. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Yong, Ed (2009-10-13). "Monkeys fall into the uncanny valley". National Geographic. Retrieved 2024-07-05.