I never thought jet lag could induce hallucinations, but after I flew four time zones past the international date line, snagged a 90-minute nap in Jakarta and endured a six-hour van ride, I had to wonder whether the sedated monkey getting its belly shaved in front of me was a dream.
It wasn't.
Here at the Cikananga Wildlife Center, a wooded area about 200 miles southeast of Jakarta, 18 rescued female macaques were being prepped for sterilization surgery, a critical first step in their lengthy rehabilitation process.
Their stories varied, but these creatures were all victims of Indonesia's animal pet trade, forced to perform as dancing monkeys, or topeng monyet, on the streets of Jakarta, the capital.