Thailand is the world’s first-largest exporter of coconut milk.
The basis of its impressive business is the exploitation of macaques for the picking of coconuts.
Coconut trees in Thailand can reach the height of 30 metres, which makes supply difficult and dangerous. In these conditions, male primates can harvest up to 1000 coconuts per day, while humans can barely reach the number of 80.
Although they should be protected by law as an endangered species, pig-tailed macaques are violently kidnapped from their natural habitat as juveniles and taken away from their families to be imprisoned and chained by the neck with rigid metal collars for their entire lives.
Across the country there are several so-called “monkey schools” where these animals are forced to perform as tourist attractions, while they are intensively trained to work and then sold to coconut pickers across the southern provinces of Thailand.
These macaques are condemned to a life of misery and loneliness, chained to trees or old tires in poor hygienic conditions, without being able to express their ethological needs, socialise and even touch each other. They usually suffer from behavioural disorders and stereotypies as a result of the experienced trauma.
Photoreporter graduated from the Scuola Romana di Fotografia in Rome in 2007. Since 2009, he has been making long-term photographic and video documentary reportages with the intent to investigate social, environmental and anthropological issues in China, Russia, Laos, Bangladesh, Thailand, some areas of Africa and Italy.His work is costantly published in major international media and magazines including: National Geographic, The Times, Geo Magazine, The N.Y.T., The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Days Japan, Der Spiegel, Internazionale. He has received numerous international awards and his work has been exhibited in various museums, galleries and festivals. In 2021 he published the book ÒMari El, a pagan beautyÓ. Since 2015 he has been a member of the Prospekt Photographers agency.