How we rescued a monkey (Break in the loop from Thakhek) - Part 2

The next morning (on our "real" third day around Thakhek so), we wake up obsessed by the monkeys' situation, in Nong Kok. We spend our breakfast time, searching for solutions.

Obviously, we're sure that the best place for monkeys is the forest. The best life for them, is the wild one. But what if they're not ready to go back live there ?

We think about local authorities, like the office in charge of the protected area (near the guesthouse we stay), or even police. We also consider to ask help of the monks from the Pagoda of Koun Kham.

Speaking then with the owner of the Xokxaykham Guesthouse, he makes us understand that there's probably no chance to get some help from the protected area office, as they ceased to efficiently protect the forest and its wildlife several years ago. According to him, plenty of local authority officers go themselves hunting or ripping wild animals. Moreover, we're informed that having monkeys as decoration or housekeeper is not so unusual in some villages within Khammouane Province. He finally concludes by advising us to discuss with the monks.

The monks seems to be a good idea. After all, we saw it ourselves in Battambang, where the flying foxes were living all around a pagoda because of the monks' protection, and the same for Sihanoukville's monkeys or in Angkor.

The owner proposes us to come and help us to speak with the monks, as they probably don't understand English so well.

Arrived in the pagoda, we sit cross-legged in front of two monks, and start our story to convince them that they have to rescue these monkeys. They don't look so concerned, and refuse. Their motive is that few times some monkeys were brought to the pagoda, and the monks took care of them, but people from the villages around were coming to steal them. After we insist, one of them says that he can take care of one, the smaller, the weaker, if we bring him to the pagoda.

Disappointed, but determinate to take off these monkeys from these conditions, we ride to Nong Kok village. We know that unfortunately, the only way is to pay. Thankfully, the F U C K E R S don't seem used at all of selling the animals. They look at us surprised that we come back and we try to explain for few minutes what is our aim. They let us the small monkey.. We put him tenderly in my empty bag, make the F U C K E R S understand that they're going to have big problems and drive bag to the pagoda.

No one, except young monks are there. The monk who accepted, is not found.

We decide to wait for him, in the pagoda garden. Meanwhile, the monkey begins slowly to go out of the bag and looks around him.

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We ask the group of young monks if they have a long rope, to let him walk farther than one meter. Still afraid, he starts to enjoy the grass.

Tobias drive back to the guesthouse to get some fruits. When he comes back, he tells me that the owner proposes us to keep him himself, build him a wooden cabin in the huge garden, his wife will take good care of him, as she is doing with children and the baby dog.

Here starts a long thought. What now ? It's getting late, and our monk is still not back. But, is it really smart to leave him in another family, where for sure he will be better treated, but still not free. Should we free him, who seems to be so weak ? Can a monkey survive alone in the wild without his clan ?

We decide, without having a real choice, to bring him to the guesthouse.

For few days, we take care of him there. Step by step he begins to be less afraid and more curious. If on the first days he didn't want to leave his "bed", he finally starts to run everywhere, climb, jump... A monkey. For long minutes, we also watch him playing crazy with the baby dog, which is both funny and cute.

When it's time to leave, we're, for sure, sad. But moreover, we're worried. Was it the right thing to do ? We keep thinking that the most important was to take him off from there, that at least no one beats him anymore, that he has food when ever he wants, water, that he is not alone at a one meter rope...

Alfi

Alfi

Alfi

We also sadly think a lot about the other monkey who is still there, waiting for some help. Once in Vientiane, the capital, we will search for an organisation and send them there. We absolutely want that they take care of the second monkey, and if they judge it necessary, that they also take Alfi. We dream about consequences for the people who are doing it. But how ?

We couldn't find any authorities to help us and take care of it. Near Thakhek, "a protected area", no organisations for wildlife protection are there, the monks don't care, and so does the police, when officers don't hunt themselves.