In honor of the first-ever International Macaque Day this month on March 16th, PEN wanted to share some fun activities that primate conservation educators can use in teaching communities about our macaque friends. All of these materials can be found in PEN’s members-only Resource Library.
© Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation
1. Make a Macaque Mask
With some paper, scissors, string, and crayons, your students can make their own mask. They can choose from two different masks: the Sulawesi black crested macaque of Indonesia and the Barbary macaque of Morocco.
2. Play a Macaque Board Game
In an educational and entertaining board game created by the Moroccan Primate Conservation, students take on the role of an infant macaque. They make their way through the dangers of the forest to be safely reunited with their family. Download this game in English and Arabic. Selamatkan Yaki also created a board game for students to go on an adventure in the forest of North Sulawesi while learning some fun facts about the black crested macaque.
The Yaki Board Game: © Selamatkan Yaki
3. Color a Macaque
PEN’s Resource Library has a wide variety of coloring pages, including this collection of four Japanese macaques illustrated by the Lincoln Park Zoo, for printing and coloring that can be used to educate students about the different types of macaque species around the world. Additional macaque materials are available for download on the International Macaque Day website.
4. Watch Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom
Learn more about the movie’s featured toque macaques through the lessons and activities included in the Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom Educator’s Guide. It is available in both English and Spanish, and designed for grades 2 through 6. The guide includes detailed information about the monkeys that can be an excellent companion to the movie.
5. Enjoy Macaque Story Time
Read one of the available stories from our PEN’s Resource Library, including the illustrated story entitled “The Journey of the Macaque Teshta”. This story is available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. You can also download and read the “Selamatkan Yaki! Save Sulawesi Macaques Storybook” in English and Indonesian. It is a story about a macaque named Bob, whose forest home is set on fire.
6. Show Your Support with a Macaque Selfie
Download PEN’s selfie templates and post on our Facebook page or Twitter to show your support for macaques!
The goal of the International Macaque Day is to raise awareness and educate the public about these primate species. Learn more about the event and participating organizations at http://internationalmacaqueday.weebly.com.
Join the conversation by visiting and liking the International Macaque Day Facebook page.
Special thanks to the Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation for organizing this important event. And thank you for joining PEN and our colleagues around the world in promoting macaque conservation!
This blog was written by PEN volunteer Fiona Young-Brown. Fiona has served as a volunteer with PEN since 2013. Her love of primates developed as a child in England when she frequently visited the gorillas at the Howletts Wild Animal Park. Dreams of being the next Dian Fossey were waylaid by other adventures. For three years, she taught in rural Japan. She then did graduate work in women’s studies and medical anthropology at the University of Iowa. A former teacher turned writer, she now makes her home in Kentucky.