Thirteen Years in Chains: Mary-Jane and Samson’s Story

Bali Monkey Rescue recently received a call that we would not normally respond to.

The report came from Java — outside our usual Bali and Lombok rescue area. Ordinarily, we simply don’t have the resources to travel that far. But the concerns were so grave, so disturbing, that Sari made the decision to act.

Twenty hours later, our team arrived.

And what they found is something they will never forget.

These were not long-tailed macaques, the species we usually care for. They were pig-tailed macaques — a species we would not normally take in because introducing different macaque species can cause serious disruption and risk to existing troops.

But sometimes the situation is so severe that rules must bend to compassion.

And this was one of those times.

Bred for Profit

For 13 years, Mary-Jane and Samson were not seen as living beings.

They were breeding stock.

Mary-Jane’s entire existence was reduced to reproduction. She was repeatedly impregnated. Every time she carried a baby, she would go through pregnancy only to have her newborn taken away immediately after birth.

No holding them. No grooming them. No nursing them. No mothering them.

Those babies were sold into the illegal pet trade.

We know how strong maternal bonds are in primates. Anyone who has watched a macaque mother carry, protect and nurse her infant understands this. The bond is not casual. It is not optional. It is biological, emotional and deeply instinctive.

Mary-Jane was denied that bond over and over again.

When she turned thirteen and could no longer produce babies, she was no longer profitable.

And when she was no longer profitable, she was discarded.

Life in a Cage

The conditions they were kept in are hard to comprehend until you see the photographs.

Tiny cages. metal bars, heavy chains around their necks and waists. Trash piled beneath and around them, worms, filth no proper food, no enrichment, no dignity.

This was not temporary neglect.

This was their entire world for thirteen years.

The sad truth is that this is how the illegal breeding industry operates. Infant macaques are desirable as pets. They are small. They are “cute.” They are easier to control. But those babies have to come from somewhere.

And often, that “somewhere” is a female like Mary-Jane — used, impregnated repeatedly, and discarded when her body can no longer produce.

It is not one bad owner.

It is a system.

And systems only survive when there is demand.

Securing Their Freedom

After long discussions, BMR was able to secure their release. Importantly, BMR will never pay to obtain a monkey. Paying only fuels the very industry we are fighting against.

When the owner agreed to hand them over, it marked the end of thirteen years of exploitation.

Samson has now been placed at our developing shelter in Java — yes, BMR now has a small centre there, and we will share more details soon!

Mary-Jane has come to our rehabilitation centre in Bali.

The damage is clear.

She is severely malnourished. Her body is painfully thin. She requires full medical examinations, high-quality nutrition, supplements, and constant monitoring.

But here is the part that breaks me.

Despite everything humans have done to her… she is gentle.

Sari describes her as one of the sweetest natures she has encountered. She is calm. She is kind. She is friendly.

After thirteen years of chains and forced breeding, she still chooses softness.

That is extraordinary!!

What Happens Now

Mary-Jane and Samson will never wear chains again.

They will never be forced to reproduce. They will never have their babies taken from them. They will never be valued only for profit.

They now have safety, medical care, proper food, clean space, compassion.

Recovery will take time. Physically and psychologically, exploitation leaves deep marks. But this is the beginning of a new chapter.

One built on dignity, not demand.

The Bigger Picture

If you ever see someone offering a baby monkey for sale, remember Mary-Jane.

Every baby comes from somewhere.

Every “cute pet” likely cost a mother her infant.And often cost an entire wild troop their lives.

The illegal pet trade thrives because people buy.

And it ends when people stop.

Mary-Jane and Samson survived thirteen years of unimaginable confinement.

Now they get the chance to live.

Free from chains, free from forced breeding, free from being “useful.”

And that is something worth fighting for.