Dignity in chains: stark macaque portrait shines light on animals' plight in Indonesia

Nominations for Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards include images of endangered species on island of SulawesiNona is a Sulawesi crested black macaque. Photographed here by Stefano Unterthiner, she is seen chained to a chair outside the house where she is kept as a pet. The scene is made particularly poignant because Unterthiner has included in his image the shadow of Nona, her chain and a tree, thus underlining the freedom that the little animal has lost. At the same time, the owner of Nona - which means "miss" - stands relaxing in the early morning sun.It is illegal to keep this critically endangered animal in captivity. Yet the law is rarely enforced, particularly in remote areas. Hence the grim picture - though far worse was taken by Unterthiner, an Italian wildlife photographer, during his visit to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Hunting, the live-animal trade and forest clearance have caused the animal's population on the island to crash by 90% in the past 30 years. Only a few thousand are left there. Continue reading...