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A
Closer Look at Sangeh Monkey Forest
Monkeys Come to be Tame
As
an object of ecotourism, the Sangeh Monkey
Forest persists to improve itself. Other
than carrying out re greening action at
the forest to the extent of 14 hectares,
the management wants to make the entire
monkey population tamer. For that purpose,
they are fed twice a day (in the morning
and afternoon). While, for the long-term
goal, it performs re greening by planting
trees that can bear fruit for the monkeys.
For instance, it plants jackfruit, rambutan
and sawo kecik (Manilkara kauki), other
than the neem tree (Azadirachta indica)
that functions as a canopy and botanical
insecticide against cutworms. “We will
plant all of the 500 trees of the four kinds
of plant species mentioned previously,”
says the Regreening Program Coordinator
of Alam Kulkul, Heri Andisar, to journalists
recently.
 Head
of Sangeh Customary village, Ida Bagus Dipayana,
adds that since new management the Sangeh
Monkey Forest experiences many alterations.
“The most fundamental alteration is
the tameness of the monkeys that inhabit
the forest,” he says while admitting
that monkeys in Sangeh used to be famous
for their mischievous and sneaky behavior
to visitors, for instance, they (monkeys)
sometimes grab the spectacles of visitors
and will thrown down if they were given
a banana.
Made Sumohon, the Operation Manager of Sangeh
Monkey Forest told Bali Travel News that
at the present time Sangeh is often forced
into a corner by word of mouth promotion
on the mischiefness and sneakiness of the
monkeys. “I’ve often watch a program
on a private TV station that aired an interview
of one of the competitors (monkey forest)
saying that his monkeys are not as mischievous
as that belong to Sangeh. It has indeed
forced us into a corner,” says Sumohon.
Monkeys
have been Tame
It is undeniable that since managed by the
new management the behavior of monkeys at
Sangeh have changed drastically as though
it was merely inhabited by tame monkeys.
They are distinctly tame to tourists or
visitors.
If they were previously sneaky to visitors,
they now come to be tame and companionable
due to regular feeding by the attendants.
“Sangeh monkeys eat from morning up
to evening,” says Sumohon.
Having accomplished to tame the monkeys,
Sumohon is currently concentrating to refurbish
toilet facilities at the object. Through
the ‘foster parent’ program with
Alam Kulkul, they now repair the toilets
in order it possesses, at least, the same
standard as that of Alam Kulkul. For this
purpose, in relatively short time Sangeh
will send 5 cleaning service staff to be
trained at Alam Kulkul. They will put right
the toilet facility at Sangeh for visitors
comfort. (BTN/013)
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