In Indonesia's West Sumatra, there is a "university" devoted entirely to the training of monkeys.
Footage from September 10, 2019, shows the controversial training of a monkey to pick coconuts in a controlled environment. The monkey is seen with a metal collar and chained to a man, monitoring the monkey, who is twisting heavy coconuts.
At present, the STIB has dozens of monkey "pupils" and four "graduated" monkeys.
The Beruk College of Sciences (STIB) was established in the city of Pariaman in early 2019, to help coconut farmers in plantations. As the largest producer of coconuts in the province of West Sumatra, the "university" has strong support from the Pariaman City Government.
Director General of Regional Autonomy of the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs, Akmal Malik visited STIB on February 18, 2020, and according to a press release published on the local authorities' website, fed the monkeys that were resting at the monkey house.
The Head of STIB, Hamidul Adhar, said: "At this university the monkeys are taught how to pick coconuts, rotating coconuts quickly. After a while, monkeys become good at picking and dropping coconuts, and become skilled at climbing coconut trunks after four to six months."
Hamidul added: "Monkeys who have successfully graduated from the "university" can pick between 500 to 1,000 coconuts per day at Rp 100,000 per coconut."
Similar establishments exist elsewhere, including in Thailand where PETA conducted an investigation.
PETA revealed that monkeys in Thailand "are kept chained, abusively trained, and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts that are used to make coconut milk, meat, flour, oil, and other products."
In their investigation, PETA also found that "many monkeys are illegally abducted from their families and homes when they’re just babies. They’re fitted with rigid metal collars and kept chained or tethered for extended periods."
The organisation also said: "The terrified young monkeys are forced to perform frustrating and difficult tasks, such as twisting heavy coconuts until they fall off the trees from a great height. An investigator learned that if monkeys try to defend themselves, their canine teeth may be pulled.
"To earn more money off these animals, some trainers also force them to participate in circus-style shows in which they entertain paying visitors by riding bicycles, shooting basketballs, and performing other confusing and demeaning tricks."