Macaca Nigra Project

Crested macaques are close to extinction as their population has decreased by more than 75% in the last 30 years. They are now one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates and will go extinct by 2050 if no change is made. Wild crested macaques suffer from habitat destruction and poaching for meat due to lack of public awareness and law enforcement.

Since 2006, the Macaca Nigra Project studies the biology and habitat of these enigmatic animals, who belong to the most tolerant primates described so far. At the same time, we protect animals in the wild, promote their conservation through collaboration with local authorities, awareness campaigns, education programmes and consultancy with local authorities.

The Macaca Nigra Project (MNP) and its branch, the Tangkoko Conservation Education Programme (TCE), is a collaboration between two Indonesian universities and several European education and research institutions. It acts in close collaboration with the local Department for the Protection of Natural Resources, the Department for Education and other local NGOs concerned with Indonesia’s biodiversity.