The Last of the Macaquen's

Monkey's have a reputation for being cute, funny, and curious...but I have discovered the truth behind this diabolic deception. They're cute, but this makes them arrogant, they're funny but the joke is on you, and if curiosity killed the cat, it has put chains on the monkey. This blog is inspired by Ruplic, the narcissistic monkey and the last of his kind in Kamantian.

I traveled through South East Asia in 2006 and I was also deceived. The only monkey I knew then, was named George and he was famous for his curiosity. He got into all sorts of trouble, but he was cute and everybody liked him, of course this may have been because he was a fictitious creation. The first real monkey's I saw in Asia were all chained, and I felt sorry for them...

Ruplic is also chained, but I don't feel bad for him. This time, 4 years later I know better. Monkey's, especially macaque monkey's like Ruplic, are notorious thieves. While in Borneo my friends and I saw a macaque steal an expensive pair of designer sunglasses right of a woman's head, and then climb up a tree to laugh about it. All the signs warning of such a possibility weren't kidding. Then there was the time in Backo National Park. My friend Matthew Swena pretended to attack a solitary monkey...not a good idea! This resulted in the whole grove of monkeys responding in an immediate attack and retaliation against us. They ran at us as only monkey's can all the while barring their teeth. I have never been afraid of such little creatures in my life! However vengeance was had in Indonesia.

While walking on a jungle trail we saw macaque's once again. This time we had an ample supply of ammunition in the form of oranges, and we threw to kill. I don't remember having any direct hits, but it felt good to take aim at the grining little monsters.

Kamantian's monkey, Ruplic, is literally the last monkey in Kamantian. He was captured in October of 2002 and was made into a pet, though its not a good idea to actually try and pet him. Many Palawano's bare the scars as a result of getting to close. I call Ruplic the narcissistic monkey because he loves to look at himself in one of his shard pieces of mirror. As he looks at himself he turns his head from side to side and will even run his fingers through his hair as if to say “oh yeah.”

The reason Ruplic is the last Macaquen monkey is because, simply put, the Palawano's love to hunt. They are excellent marks men. I have seen them point to a spot on a tree, many meters away, and indent it with a dart from their blow gun. This isn't luck because they can do this with repetition. And now that guns have been added to their arsenal all things wild are endangered and are literally at risk for becoming extinct...at least on this island jungle.

Ruplic escaped the guns but the chains of domestication have now put limits on his freedom. Despite this Ruplic still thinks he is the king of the jungle, and by default of extinction, he probably is. However Willie the racist dog (he only barks at Palawano's) might have something to say about that, but that's another blog for another time.